


The Tiny Inquisitor

by BanefulQueen



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age All, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-08 20:49:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14702031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanefulQueen/pseuds/BanefulQueen
Summary: The advisers of the Inquisition takes on the youngest hero in all of history. After explosion at the temple of scared ashes, and with the loss of her mother, Eva is forced into a position of power with a life that is foreign from the one she lived before. Will she be able to lead them or will the world fall into chaos?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You can find my other works on https://www.fanfiction.net/~vhenansabelas. I am currently going through and updating this story with any spelling errors, apologies in advance. I will also be adding my other work onto this site as well. Enjoy!

There was a ringing in her ears unlike anything she heard before. Muffled voices were screaming all around her while she tried to focus her vision so she could see straight. Panic, there was so much panic and fear in the air and she couldn't understand why. There was a woman approaching her now. From what she could see she had black short hair, she wore a warriors' armor and her sword was drawn out, pointing directly at her body. Was she talking to her? She could see her lips moving but couldn't make out a word she said, the ringing still howling in her ears. She felt her body go limp as her world went black.

"What of the prisoner?" Asked a voice.

"Still unconscious. Only time will tell at this point." Answered a woman.

"We don't _have_ time! Demons are pouring from the sky as we speak, if we don't do something soon-" Snapped a man's voice but it was cut off from the woman's voice.

"You don't have much of a choice, Commander. Get up there and do what you can." She practically snarled out at the man, who had only stalked off grumbling a few choice words.

Voices surrounded her left and right, but she could hardly make them out as she came and went from consciousness. She felt a pair of gentle hands handling her limp body, replacing what seemed to be gauze from what she assumed was wounds she earned. The hands that had tended to her left, but one pair remained. She could feel someone cradling her right hand, running their fingers over something that caused a burning to erupt in her body. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry, but her body wouldn't let her move. It was like that for several hours as the voices around her faded in out, hardly making since of their words as she strained to listen.

_Mamae, where is she? Why can't I hear her voice? Why isn't she hear? I don't feel her._ Her mind tortuously echoed its thoughts, causing a surge of panic to seize her heart. Without warning the young girl sat upright, her eyelids snapping open in full alert to take in her surroundings. Five guards were stationed around her, their swords drawn out and pointed at her. Her hands were bound together in chains as she tried to move from her spot, wanting nothing more than to cower in fear. Tears began to well up in her perfect green eyes when she didn't see her mother anywhere in sight.

"Iras Mamae?" She asked in a trembling tone. No one made a move to answer her, but she saw the guards exchange looks as one whispered to another. One of them nodded and left the room. "Iras Mamae?!" She asked again, this time her tone sounding more frightful and torn as more tears poured from her eyes and down her bruised cheeks. The door slammed open and a woman stepped forward. She wore warriors amour, her dark hair was cut short, save for the small braid that wrapped around her head; but what shook her the most was the expression she wore on her face. There was no warmth behind her features, her eyes were cold and alert, looking down on her as if she were some wild beast ready to strike. She attempted to sniffle up her sorrow, but her tears only kept coming as her voice fell silent.

"What is your name?" The woman asked with a bite in her tone. The door closed behind her as the guards retreaded backwards against the walls, their swords vanishing from sight as the woman approached her. She wanted nothing more than to retreat backwards into the shadows, to hide away from her questioning glare. After a moment, the woman bent downwards so that she was eye level with her, she could see brown eyes narrowing at the sight of her. Was she in trouble? Did she do something wrong? Teary green hues stared back into narrowed brown ones, before falling to look at the ground. "Your name." She heard the woman ask again, this time her voice seemed a tad softer.

"Ir Eva," she said in such a small voice that it almost sounded like a whisper. It felt like a lump had developed in her throat that she could not swallow.

"Eva." The woman repeated and she nodded in response. She noticed that she spoke like the humans do, did she not understand their language? Her mother told her not everyone would, which is why she taught her mans' tongue.

"My mommy…" Her voice cracked as she tried to swallow another sob that wanted to burst free, but her tears continued to fall. "Where is my mommy?" She asked again, more clearly this time. The woman stared at her for a moment as her hard expression faltered. Eva noticed immediately and she bit her lower lip, trying to be patient for an answer.

"I-I'm sorry." The woman said in a gentle tone and Eva made the connection immediately. She pulled her knees against her chest and hid her face in her lap as she sobbed to herself, not caring if the guards or this stranger witnessed her tears. She heard shuffling in the room and the door opened again, this time another woman stepped through. Eva took a small peak and noticed she dawned a purple hood along her head, covering her fiery red hair.

"I thought we agreed to _wait_ to deliver the news." She said in a crisp tone.

"I couldn't do that to her, she deserved to know the truth." The dark haired woman spoke.

The other woman sighed before looking to the small child. Cassandra was probably not the best one to send in to deal with these matters, but she was too busy dealing with the townspeople that wanted this girl dead for a crime she may or may not have committed. Leliana slowly approached the girl and took a seat across from her. She crossed her legs and waited patiently for the young girl to look at her.

Eva lifted her tearful gaze and saw the redhead staring at her. Her features were softer than the dark haired woman, but there was a coldness to her eyes from what she could see, despite the sad smile she wore on her lips.

"I am sorry for your loss, little one…" She finally broke the silence between them, and Eva nodded in acknowledgement. "My name is Leliana. What is yours?" Her tone was laced with warmth and curiosity. Eva was good at reading people.

"Eva." She stated, her bound hands rising to wipe her dampened cheeks. What startled her was the glowing green that was etched into her palm, causing Eva to thrust her hand outward in surprise. Was this the source of her pain earlier? Her hand felt hot and tingly. How did she not notice this earlier? Especially with the eerily glowing green light.

Leliana and Cassandra both shot each other a look as they saw her reaction to her own hand. Was she innocent? There was no way a child could wield such a power, and judging by her reaction, she seemed to have no idea what was going on, either. Splendid. Leliana directed her attention back to the young girl, and ever so slowly she made a movement to grasp her glowing hand. After a long moment of staring her hand she finally broke her concentrated look and spoke out gently.

"Do you know what this is?" Leliana asked cautiously.

The small girl looked to her once more, a questioning look held in her sad green eyes. Biting her lower lip, she gently shook her head and looked back down to her hand. She was just as confused, if not more, than everyone else in the room. Outside she could faintly make out the shouts of anger and she could only assume it was directed at her.

"We need to show you something." Leliana spoke once more, shaking the small girls' attention from her hand and back to her. The redhead rose swiftly and grasped at her chain bound hands as she gently pulled her up. Eva wobbled on her feet at first, the feeling of standing was foreign to her. Just how long was she unconscious for? Her legs were stiff and her body equally so. It felt like she got knocked off a Halla. Steadily the two of them made their way out of the room and down a large hallway full of prisoner cells. Was she in a jail? Green hues looked around frantically at the cells. No one else seemed to occupy them. They were now in a large lit hallway that was devoid of life, it was just as empty as the cells. Eva froze for a moment as the shouts got louder, it was coming outside and she knew that was where the redhead was leading them. Leliana paused as she looked down to the girl with a frown, Cassandra was right behind them.

"It's alright, we won't let anything happen to you." Cassandra said from behind. Biting her lower lip, Eva nodded a bit and started moving once more. The large doors swung open as she narrowed her eyes, the sun blinding her temporarily. Suddenly Eva stopped on her own accord, her green hues widening in surprise as she looked to the sky. It was damaged, torn, and thrown into chaos. She could feel the energy pulsing to life from the sky, and it was so very angry. A large pulse echoed through the sky, the glowing green shifting and becoming larger. As it pulsed, Eva winced and looked to her hand once more. It had the same glow of green as the sky, and it burned like no other. The green energy around her hand crackled and popped, causing her to collapse on her knees as she cradled her right hand; tears threatening to spill once again.

"We call it the Breach." Leliana spoke gently as she bent down to her level. She made no motion to touch her but only gave her a sympathetic look. "It spreads in the sky as well as your hand, and each pulse that passes it seems to be getting stronger. Eventually, it will kill you. Unless we act now." Leliana wasn't one to beat around the bush in such dire times, and she couldn't afford to do so now. The girl had to know that her life hung in the bounds.

"I don't even know what it is." Eva said shyly, the pulse that tore through her hand had stopped but she remained in her crouched position. "How do I stop that thing?" She asked as her attention went back to the giant tear in the sky.

"We have a theory, but we need to get you up there first. Cassandra will go with you."

Cassandra stepped forward, placing a hand on the girls shoulder. Eva looked back in her direction for a moment before nodding. What choice did she have? It wasn't like she could run away, especially after she was told this thing was going to kill her. She had to be brave or at least try to be regardless of how terrified she was. Eva stood, and nodded once more but this time it was a nod of determination.

"I will meet you at the forward camp, I must gather my scouts and prepare for the worst." Leliana said before standing and stepping aside. Cassandra kept a firm hand on the girls shoulder as she guided them forward through Haven. Angry looks came from all directions as they made their way to the gates.

"Do they hate me?" Eva asked in a near whisper but loud enough for the Seeker to hear.

"They grieve for the loss of our most holy, they need it." There was softness in her voice as she spoke.

Most holy? Oh, she must mean the Divine. She remember her mother speaking to her about her, which ironically, was why they were here today. She didn't know the extent of the details, but she knew that her mother was to meet the Divine for some reason regarding their clans' people.  
  
\----

It was a long way to the sight of destruction, and Cassandra had stopped them several times as Eva went to hide among the bushes as demons appeared. They attacked in numbers of two or more, and Cassandra was her only line of defense. Eva had no special abilities, no fighting abilities, she was essentially useless. The Seeker was well equipped however, to deal with the demons at hand. She fought bravely and never backed down, and most impressively she received little injury after each encounter. Eva only heard of demons from her clan leader, stories of people becoming corrupted because they would often give in to their darkest part of their hearts. She never thought much of it until now.

"Another rift!" Cassandra exclaimed as they made their way to a hill top. There were at least 5 demons this time, but Cassandra was no longer alone. Eva could make out two others and a few soldiers from Haven that combated against them.

"We must seal the rift!" A male's voice exclaimed. Was that her job? And if so how exactly was she supposed to do that? She felt her hand tingle and pulse once more as the last demon was struck down. Suddenly a man appeared beside her and grasped her hand, shoving it up and forward towards the rift. Eva gasped as her hand and the rift connected, and her eyes slipped shut as the pulsing worsened. It felt like her body was receiving a surge of energy that didn't belong in her. With freshly fallen tears the rift crackled and turned in the air, and finally vanished from sight. "There now," spoke a tender voice. Her eyes shot open and she saw an elven male lowered in front of her. His eyes were a grayish blue and his ears were just as pointed as hers.

"Did I do that?" She asked in a combination of shock and fear. The male nodded and offered a tender smile. Eva looked back to Cassandra who looked just as surprised as she did.

"It seems my theory was correct. She has the ability to close the rifts, thus may possess the same power in closing the breach." The man was now talking to the others, standing once more. He practically towered over Eva. She barely came up to his knees.

"And here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." Another voice called out and Eva looked over to see a small man talking. He had a strange weapon that she'd never seen before. He looked back over to Eva and grinned at her. She could feel a blush creeping to her cheeks at the sudden attention and from being caught staring. Honestly could anyone blame her?

"Names Varric," the man said as he approached Eva. He offered her his hand and she cautiously took it, giving it a small shake before retracting her hand.

"I'm Solas, if there is to be introductions." The other elf said in a cheery tone. He bent down to her level once more and offered his hand as well, giving it a gentle shake. They knew she was being cautious with them and they could hardly blame her for it.

"Eva…" She mumbled out, the blush on her cheeks only deepening at the attention she received. They were probably the nicest strangers she met so far since she awoken.

"A pleasure," Solas said with a smile before releasing her hand and standing upright once more. He leaned against his staff and looked to Cassandra. "It seems she is the answer to our survival." She could hear Cassandra sigh and nod in agreement with his statement. Did that mean she had to close more rifts like that thing from earlier? Did that also mean there would be more demons she had to encounter?

"I can't fight." Eva suddenly burst out as she looked down to her feet, suddenly finding her white slippers interesting as she felt gazes on her.

"That's alright." Solas said gently with a smile.

"We will protect you and after all this I will teach you to fight." Cassandra offered.

"Assuming we live through this." Varric added and she could hear Cassandra grunt with disapproval as she shot the dwarf an angry look.  
  
\----

They had reached the forward camp without issues, and also managed to close another rift. It was a quick travel through the camp as the Seeker, from what Eva could see, was trying to keep her away from a certain man that she saw arguing with Leliana. Then they separated once more with the promise to meet again, charging with the soldiers to get to another rift--- Or did Solas call it the breach? So much was happening that it was difficult to keep up.  
  
They finally met with Leliana once more, and as promised, she had her men stationed with her. Were they expecting something awful? The demons so far seemed manageable with each rift she closed. "This was the original rift and so far the biggest of them all." She heard Solas comment, curiosity was in his tone as he glanced over the area. Eva peaked around Cassandra and gasped. There were various corpses that seemed to be burnt in place, and still on fire. The ground was black like it had been torched by something massive, and odd red stuff was growing all around out of the ground.

"Red lyrium?" Varric asked in an astonished voice. "Seeker?"

"I see it, Varric." She said in an annoyed tone.

"Don't touch it, that shit is bad stuff." Varric said. Eva noticed the shift of anger in his tone.

"What now?" Eva asked as she went to stand beside the Seeker. Even though she liked the others that had accompany them, she felt closest to Cassandra as far as trusting anyone went.

"We seal the rift." Solas said.

Right. That should be easy, right? She managed to close at least two so far without there being any catastrophic event happening. Biting her lower lip Eva nodded in agreement, but unconsciously she latched onto Cassandra's leg as fear reared its ugly head. Cassandra blinked and looked down at the sudden contact, and her once stern gaze softened a bit. She couldn't deny that she felt sorry for the girl, she was so young to have a burden like this thrust upon her and lose her mother in the same day. Varric noticed the scene between the two and smirked.

"Well Seeker that is the softest expression you've made since I've had the pleasure of knowing you!" Varric chuckled.

"Watch it, Varric." Cassandra hissed out in irritation.  
  
  
  
\----

There was screaming all around her as soldiers fell. Why did she think this was going to be easy? When they approached the rift something unusual happened. She heard her voice and the voice of another, along with her mothers. For a split second Eva thought she might have found her mother once again, that Leliana and Cassandra lied to her about her being truly gone. It all but shattered her heart once more when she realized it was just a reflection of some kind. A trick or delusion.

There was no reaction time. Solas was right about this rift being different. Something huge and monstrous was spat out, it was vastly different from the other demons they encountered so far. Its cruel laughter echoed through the area as it shielded itself from damage, summoning an electric whip to lash out at others. Eva just managed to dodge out of the way, wanting nothing more than to hide from its angry glare.

"We must break its defenses!" She heard Cassandra shout out to the others as they charged forward.

"Use the mark!" She heard Solas yell out to her. The mark? How was that going to help them defeat the demon? Shaking her head, she banished her thoughts aside and charged forward. The demon was distracted with the others as she was able to get out of its view while being near the rift. She felt the same familiar pressure and tingle in her hand as she forced it forward towards the rift. It crackled with power as the energy surged from it, whipping around the air viciously.

"NOW! ATTACK NOW!" She heard Cassandra yell to the others, followed by the demon going down on its knees. For a moment the rift seemed to calm as it clouded the air. Did she bring down the demon from by disrupting the energy? The others were laying in the beast like no other, while Leliana and her men fired arrows ruthlessly.

"More are coming!" She heard a man yell and she whirled her head to see more demons pouring out. They all seemed to charge at her at once. Did they sense the mark? Eva's eyes went wide as she took a step back, fear seizing control of her body.

"Eva, move!" She heard Solas yell, and she certainly tried to move. Her body was tensed up and felt like stone. She closed her eyes in preparation as a demon glided in front of her, its claws shifting above its head as it was about to strike her down. Eva gasped when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, hauling her away from the hoard of demons that drew near her. She opened her eyes to meet the gaze of amber colored ones.

"It's alright, I got you." The man said to her as his attention shifted back to the demons that redirected their route and was now heading for them once again. With her in one arm the man drew his sword with the other, cutting down the demons in his path. Eva watched with wonder when the demons fell to his sword. He didn't even seemed exhausted fighting with just one hand and supporting her weight with the other. A cackle tore through the air once again as the large demon stood to its feet. It was covered in gash wounds and blood, but so were the others.

"Its defenses are back up again!" Cassandra called out. "Prepare yourselves!"

"I can help!" Eva's silence broke out as she looked up to the blonde haired man. His eyes widen a bit at her sudden outburst. "Please, I can get the defenses down!" She persisted this time, determination in her voice. Cullen blinked as he gently set her down on the ground but remained near her as she ran to her original spot once more.

She felt her hand pulse once more as she rose it up, wincing a bit as her hand began to burn just enough for there to be pain. The energy from the rift swirled and cackled once more, but this time the demon noticed and drew its attention to Eva. Her eyes widen as the ground shook violently from its heavy steps. The blonde haired man was once again in front of her, his sword drawn and ready. The demon stopped nearby and she heard its laugh again as it summoned an electrical whip.

"WATCH IT!" Cassandra screamed but it was too late. Cullen was struck down from the whip, not expecting the attack. Eva's eyes were the size of moons as her attention went from the rift to the demon that was now approaching her. Its large hand rose in the air as it flexed its fingers.

"EVA MOVE!"

She was almost there, she could feel the energy drawing out of the rift, and she just needed a few more seconds! Her eyes snapped closed when she saw the demons hand coming down, its claws instantly making contact on her small form. She cried out in pain, and as her body went flying, but she was successful in disrupting the rift once more, rendering the demon useless. Eva landed with a heavy thud on the ground and she could hear the others attacking the demon once more, she knew that this time they would be victorious in killing the thing. Pain surged heavily on her chest as she rose a hand to gently touch at her abdomen. There was blood, and a lot of it. She didn't wear armor like the rest of them, she had given them everything they found because they were the ones fighting, not her. Probably not the smartest idea. More shouting happened around her as she felt faint now, the loss of blood not helping in the slightest.

Solas appeared at her side once more, his hand twining with her glowing one as he lifted her hand up. The familiar pulse tore through her as the rift closed, then her world went black.

\----  
  
She felt awful. Her body was sore and ached in places she didn't even know existed. There was silence around her and it was a nice change for once. But where was she? What happened to the others? Did they make it out safe and was the demon banished? With a low groan, Eva forced her eyes open. From what she could tell she was alone. Her first instinct was to call out to her mother, but the memory came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. _Right._ The thought grimly echoed in her mind as she felt a swell of tears well up in her forest green eyes. She didn't like crying, but at least she was alone to grieve. Or that is what she thought.

A box hitting the ground made her gasp as she tried to wipe away the tears that had escaped down her cheeks. She saw an elf in the room, who looked terrified and surprised that she was awake. They stared at each other for a moment before the elf dropped to her knees and bowed on the ground. Eva lifted a brow in confusion. No one has ever bowed to her before.

"Apologies, miss! I didn't know you were awake!"

"Er… It's okay. Where am I?"

Eva tried to shake her surprise and confusion, but today just seemed like one of those days that everything strange would happen. The elf lifted her gaze for a moment before lowering it back down to the ground.

"Haven. Everyone is in an uproar because of you. You saved us, you closed the rift." The elf said in high praise.

"So that means we're safe…" Eva sighed with relief, allowing the feeling of calm to finally claim her body. It was a nice change from fear and panic.

"Yes Herald."

"Herald?" Eva's eyes snapped up to look at the elf again, confusion masking her features at the odd name. "My name's Eva. Not Herald! I'm not a boy!" She snapped as her eyes narrowed at the elf. The elf seemed to panic once more at her reaction.

"Seeker will want to know you're awake! At once she said, at once!" The elf shuffled off the ground and nearly bolted for the door, leaving Eva to stare after her in utter confusion.

A frown lined her lips as she shifted off the bed, wincing at the sudden pain that erupted in her chest and abdomen. _Right, the demons claws got me._ The memory flooded back into her mind as she gingerly lifted herself off the bed. The pain wasn't as bad as it was when it first happened, but it was definitely still there. Slowly she made her way to the door and opened it slightly. The town was ironically quiet. She opened the door and her eyes immediately widen. Instantly she slammed the door shut, a small blush creeping to her pale cheeks. Everyone was outside her door and most of them were bowing. She didn't expect the entire town to be waiting for her. What was going on?! She stood there for a moment and leaned her forehead against the wood of the door. A sigh escaped her lips as she contemplated just staying in the small cabin instead, but she wanted answers and wanted to find a familiar face. The elf said the Seeker was waiting for her to wake up? She knew Cassandra was called a Seeker thanks to Varric. She wanted to find her more than anything.

Summoning up her courage Eva slowly opened the door again, shunning away her shyness that tried to rear up on her. She stood at the doorway for a moment as she felt the eyes of the town on her. There were mummers she couldn't make out and others she could. Something about this Herald business again, and other stuff that wasn't all that nice to hear. She brushed it off as best she could as she slowly made her way through the crowd of people, their gaze following her every move.

"Hey kid, glad to see you're up and moving!" Varric called out, and Eva immediately went straight for him. He stood near a fire while attempting to warm himself up from the frigid weather. Eva noted that it was colder than what she was usually accustomed to. "Didn't think you'd be up for a few more days at least." Varric continued as he moved to stand next to her, casting wary glances at the people that still gathered around to get a look at the young girl. "You certainly drew in a crowd."

"Why are these people watching me?" Eva snapped out, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the fire as she tried her best to ignore the blush deepening on her cheeks. She could practically feel her embarrassment seeping out. "And why are they calling me Herald?! I'm not a boy!" She added in frustration.

Varric blinked and stared at her for a moment, and slowly a grin appeared on his lips. He released a lightened laugh at the girl, and she shot him a look of confusion at his reaction.

"Sorry kid, couldn't be helped. They know you aren't a boy and it's not a name they're calling you. It's a title."

"A title?" Eva asked, her eyebrows raising at his words but the confusion still lingered in her expression. Varric nodded at her before looking back to the towns' people.

"Something about Andraste or whatever, Cassandra can explain it better than I can." Varric said while waving his hand in the air before turning his attention back to her. "Just glad to see you're alright, _Eva._ " She couldn't help but smile when she heard him calling her by her proper name.

"Where is Cassandra?" Varric pointed to a large building just above them. Thankfully it wasn't a long walk since Eva couldn't move too fast because of her wounds.

"You'll find her all the way down the long hallway of the chantry." Varric commented off handily. "Want me to go with you?"

"No, it's okay. I can do it myself." Eva was quick to answer. In reality she didn't want any more attention drawn to her, and someone walking beside her would definitely do just that. Varric smirked at her response and nodded, his attention shifting back to the fire. Eva made her way slowly up the staircase and was greeted by more whispers and mummers of her. She hated being the center of attention, so naturally this didn't sit well with her. Thankfully she reached the chantry and with a great deal of strain, managed to push the door open. It was practically empty inside which was a welcomed change of pace for her. She stopped just short of another large door and she truly didn't have enough strength or energy to open another heavy thing. She could hear yelling inside and angry voices. A voice she didn't recognize and Cassandra's.

_"Seeker you must see reason! She is guilty! She needs to be taken to the capital for trail!"_

_"Absolutely not!"_ __  
  
Eva bit her bottom lip at their conversation, their anger seemingly progressed. Were they talking about her? She was still confused as much as everyone else, but she did all she could to help Cassandra and Leliana in closing whatever it was in the sky. Her shyness peaked as she timidly knocked on the door, the conversation inside dying instantly. The door swung open and Eva was greeted by an angry glare and an unknown face.

"Chain her!" He spat out and Eva stepped back. Her eyes growing wide in fear as she saw the two guards inside look at her. When they made no motion for her she looked back at the man who was shoved aside.

"Ignore that and leave us." Cassandra said as she stepped aside, welcoming Eva inside. Still gnawing at her lip she slowly made her way inside the room. There was a large table at the center of the room with a giant map laid out on top of it. She noticed a few toppers to that marked several locations.

"This is insanity." She heard the man grumble with disapproval clearly in his tone.

Cassandra pulled out a chair for Eva to take a seat on. She had a feeling she wanted her out of the way when dealing with the angry man. Leliana was there too, but she remained silent when the two went back and forth with one another. Eventually the man gave up, but did so begrudgingly. Eva shifted in her chair as she watched him leave the room, his temper still obvious.

"I apologize you had to see that." Her attention was brought back to Cassandra, who was now looking at her from across the giant table. "I had every intention of coming to see you, but as you can see I was tied up." Eva nodded a bit as her tension slowly faded away.

"How come people are calling me Herald?" Eva finally broke her silence with the question that had been driving her mad since the elf was in her room. She saw Leliana's lips turn into a smile from the corner of her eyes, and she glanced to the other woman.

"You saved us from chaos. You calmed the breach in the sky and it stopped spreading. The people recognized that." She spoke swiftly. Eva noticed the accent in her voice and how lovely she sounded when she spoke. But did she really mean what she said? She stopped that thing from growing? Eva suddenly looked down to her right hand and noticed that it had also stopped spreading. She really thought that the ugly green glow would engulf her entire hand at the rate it had been spreading.

"I don't like it. It makes me sound like a boy." Eva commented suddenly, earning a laugh from Leliana and an amused smirk from Cassandra. Cassandra approached Eva and bent down to her level.

"We owe you our lives. I do not think you did any wrong here, just at the wrong place at the wrong time. At the temple… We heard voices, do you remember what happened?"

Eva tensed in her chair as she bit her lip once more. She felt grief engulf her heart once more when she remember her mother's voice. Her eyes lowered as she slowly shook her head. Cassandra frowned, knowing full well that she was grieving for the loss of her mother. She shot a look to Leliana before looking back to Eva. Just as she was about to say something the door suddenly opened once more, causing the young elf to jump in her seat, wincing when she felt pain shoot through her abdomen once more.

"I heard she was awake and wanted to see for myself." Eva snapped her attention upwards and recognized the man immediately. He had thrown himself between her and the demon to try and protect her.

"Eva you remember Commander Cullen, right?" Eva nodded at the question as she watched the man approach her. He bent down in a lowered position just in front of her and offered her a warm smile.

"You can just call me Cullen, Herald." Eva narrowed her eyes at the unpleasant name.

"Don't call me that! I sound like a boy!" She protested and Cullen's eyes widen at the sudden outburst. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he nodded.

"Alright then. I'll stick to Eva. By the way, that is a very pretty name." Cullen grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with kindness and warmth.

Eva returned his gaze and her eyes suddenly widen at the compliment. No one called her name pretty before. A small blush crept to her cheeks as she looked away, muttering a thank you under her breath. Cullen laughed again as Leliana joined in this time. Eva gazed at Cullen once more when he stood and made his way around the table. He was scanning the map in front of them and Eva noticed how oddly he was dressed. What was that giant fluffy thing hanging around his shoulders? Curiosity got the best of her when she hopped off her chair and approached him again. He didn't notice her coming since she was so small and her head didn't even pop up from the war table, so she tugged at his pant leg which seemed to startle him for a second before realizing it was her.

Once again he bent down to her eye level but she didn't return his gaze this time. She was too fascinated by the giant fluffy thing wrapped around him. Slowly her hands rose from her sides as she gently brushed her fingers against the fur, catching the man off guard. Cassandra and Leliana watched with amused looks. Cullen was always good with entertaining children, but this took the cake for them. After a long moment Eva pressed her hand against his furs and Cullen shifted his gaze to her small hands stroking his cloak.

"It's really fluffy," she said in an astonished tone of voice. "Is it alive?" She heard laughter from behind her as the women chuckled amongst themselves. Cullen shot them a glare before returning his attention to the small girl. A smile spread across his lips as he shook his head.

"It's not alive, no. It's just fur. Lions fur." He said as his hand fumbled with the ties of his cloak. "Just a coat to wear to keep me warm in the cold weather." He continued as he removed it from his shoulders, gently placing it among her own shoulders. The rest of the material dragged on the ground and the furs were entirely too big against her shoulders. It practically engulfed her head.

"It's really warm." Eva commented as she wrapped it further around herself, being careful not to damage his clothing. "Can I wear it outside? It's too cold for me and I don't have a coat of my own."

"We'll have to fix that, but for now you may wear it." Cullen smiled at her and she beamed a smile of her own in return.

"Thank you!" She chimed, almost tripping over the material before making her way back to the chair. Cullen laughed along with Cassandra and Leliana at her reaction.  
  
\----

The next hour was the most boring hour of her life. Well except that one time she received lessons about different types of plants and their properties. She wasn't really included in this conversation because it involved strategic strategy, which she had no idea what that was. The three of them went back and forth about a solid plan for aid, and just as they were about to give up the door opened once more. Eva looked over and saw a woman standing in the entrance with dark hair and darker skin. Her grey eyes twinkling in amusement at the three arguing. She held a clipboard in her arms with a candle attached to it.

"You all seem to be forgetting a very important fact." Her thick accent echoed in the room as she made her way over to stand next to Cullen. "No one will talk to us right now, especially you." She said as she pointed in Eva's direction. She blinked in confusion at her words.

"But you're talking to me right now?" Eva said as she heard Leliana chuckle once more. The woman's expression shifted to amusement.

"I suppose I am! Yes! What I meant was other people that may be able to help us."

"Oh…," Eva said as she leaned back in her chair. She suddenly felt very tired, almost feeling like she exhausted her stamina for the day. She was still recovering from her injuries and had a lot of excitement to deal with today. The four adults went back to their long and boring conversation for what seemed like hours. Eva didn't even think about leaving. Anything was better than getting stared at by all the strangers in the town. But she was fighting a losing battle.

Two hours went by quickly for the adults but had dragged on for Eva. They were finally able to make a decision that they could all agree to.

"Eva-," Cassandra paused as her attention fell upon the sleeping child. Her head was leaned back as she was cocooned in the warmth of Cullen's cloak. It was clear to everyone she was exhausted and this meeting did not help.

"It seems she's fallen asleep." Leliana's gentle voice chimed in but it was just above a whisper. How the girl could fall asleep with the four of the practically yelling at each other was beyond her.

"I will take her." Cullen spoke up as he moved from around the table. "I have to meet the recruits and will pass by her cabin."

Cassandra didn't argue, for she had to go over some paper work with the other two women in plans of getting mother Giselle here at Haven.

"Thank you, Commander." Cassandra said as she went back to the table, looking over the map once more.

Cullen gingerly picked up the sleeping child, making sure to mind her wounds as he cradled her sleeping figure. She was light as a feather, save for the giant cloak that engulfed her sleeping form. Leliana moved to open the door and Cullen nodded his thanks as he passed through. There were a few 'awws' that echoed in the hall as he carried the girl bridal style. Cullen rarely showed his soft side to people, but children naturally brought it out in him. This girl had spunk and determination. She also made Leliana laugh, several times, which was a rare occurrence in and of itself. There were many that watched the two as he made his way out of the chantry, and he did his best to ignore the stares he received.

"Hey Curly!" Varric called over rather loudly, and Cullen made a hushing sound as his gaze shifted to Eva. "Didn't even see her all bundled up in there. And here I thought you were cradling your cloak." Cullen rolled his eyes at the dwarf before continuing on.

Gingerly Cullen set the sleeping girl onto the bed, lifting the blanket over her already wrapped her figure. It couldn't hurt to have the extra warmth, it was rather chilly in the area they were stationed. Last thing they needed was her getting sick while she recovered. He took a moment to look over her features. She was definitely elven as her large ears pointed out from her shoulder length hair. He knew she'd grow into them eventually, but it added an extra sense of adorableness to her. Her hair was white as freshly fallen snow and he hadn't seen anything quite like it before, but it truly suited her. However, what mesmerized him the most was her eyes. They reminded him of the first day of spring because of how strikingly green they were. They held such determination for her age, which was rare. And after everything she went through he was surprised to see that the look hadn't faltered. He could also see the sadness in them, and he knew the loss of her mother weighed heavily on her mind. Did she have any other family with her or were they too lost in the explosion? He would have to seek out Leliana's abilities to answer that question.

The tips of his gloved finger tips gingerly brushed a strand of hair away from her face, causing Eva to shift slightly in her sleep. That reminded him that he should fetch the healers to speed up her progress and stop any discomfort she may be feeling from her wounds.

"Rest easy, little Herald." Cullen smiled at her sleeping figure before standing and turning away, leaving the child to rest as long as she needed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Eva could hear Cullen sigh as Cassandra fumbled with her helmet. It had to be at least the fifth one they tried on for her, all of them being too big for her head. Even the ones that were made “small” were too big. Eva rolled her eyes as Cassandra shifted the helmet once more, trying to find a different position that would work. 

“It doesn’t fit!” Eva finally snapped before yanking the helmet off completely. “And it hurts my ears! It squishes them!” She protested further as she handed the helmet back to a very disgruntled Cassandra. It was agreed upon the three adults that Eva needed to be trained in the art of defense if she were going to travel though the Hinterlands and close the rifts. Leliana and Cullen were the strongest to agree to the training with the inevitable bandits, demons, and dangerous rifts within the area. At least that was the reports Leliana received her word from. Since she was only nine and had no previous training from her clans’ people or her family, they were left with the task to ensure she would be able to keep herself alive if one of them fell. 

“She’ll need something specially made,” Cullen chimed in. He knew full well that none of their gear would be appropriate for her size, considering he was the one in charge of training the men and fitting them with their correct sizes. He watched as Eva removed the bulky gear from her body, taking anything that she handed to him. “Perhaps Harritt can craft something for her. The hardest part of this is honing on what skills she can access.” 

“Sir,” a voice came behind Cullen as Eva shifted to see who it was. She recognized some of them by their faces, but didn’t know any of their names. None of them seemed to have an interest in her anyways. “Sir we-,” the soldier began before looking down to Eva. He coughed, in attempt to urge the Commander that it was delicate matter. Cullen took the hint and his gaze shifted to the snowy haired elf. 

“Say, Cassandra. Didn’t Leliana pick up some tiny cakes in her travels to Val Royeaux?” At first Cassandra rose a brow at Cullen for the random question, but soon took the hint. 

“I believe so. Eva, do you wish to try one? They are delicious.” Cassandra offered the girl her hand who eagerly grasped it, her grin indicating she was very excited about the mention of sweets. Apparently she didn’t have them often since her clan often traveled away from major cities, and any small villages they came across usually didn’t have sweets to offer. Cullen waited till they were out of ear shot before turning his attention back to the scout.

“We found the body. Not a mark or burn on her and it very unusual.” He paused for a moment as he glanced down to the notes he wrote. “Every other corpse was either burned to a crisp or ashes in the wind, but the Herald’s mother was left completely untouched.” 

“I see…” The scout handed Cullen the report as he briefed the comments before looking back to the scout. “Bring this matter to sister Leliana, discretely. In the mean time we’ll prepare for the funeral.” Cullen finished the last sentence with a grim expression intact on his features. This wasn’t going to be easy for Eva, he knew that much. But she still needed to know that they retrieved the body along with the odd circumstances. Perhaps Solas would know the proper protocol for elven funerals? After delivering the blow of news to Eva he truly didn’t want to further upset the girl with questions on what to do with the body. This matter was probably best fit for Josephine. 

\----

“You should try to make some friends.” A male’s voice spoke behind her as Eva turned her attention to Cullen, who was now standing next to her. Eva blinked at the random suggestion before turning to glance at a group of kids further ahead near the gates of Haven. It wasn’t that she was socially awkward, she met new people on a daily now, all eager to get a glance at her strange glowing hand; but the challenge was interacting around people her age. 

“I’m okay with sitting, honestly.” She replied but there was a hint of something in her voice that Cullen picked up on. His brows knitted together as he looked over to the elf, taking a seat to her right.

“Shy?” He asked. He felt like a pestering parent, which was odd for him since he wasn’t the biggest fan of children, but Eva was different. She had so much responsibilities thrusted upon her daily that she didn’t have much of a choice but to act “mature”. It bothered him.

“Hardly,” Eva clicked her teeth at the question as her bright eyes narrowed some. “They have an issue with me.” That caught the Commander off guard.

“The whole Herald business?” He was prying and he knew it, but his curiosity got the best of him.Eva shook her head as she lifted her hand and tapped the tip of her ears with the pad of her index finger. She didn’t bother to look at Cullen to see if he made the connection, but it seemed to sink in rather quickly for the adult. Cullen had seen his fair share of abuse towards races. Mages, elves, Qunari, you name it and he has seen it. But this one took the cake. “Because you’re an elf?” He asked in a surprise tone.

 

 

“Knife ear,” Eva corrected him. She felt her heart sink a little at the name she was recently given by the children, and even some of the adults of Haven. She was different and she knew that, but in her clan everyone got along. Even when they encountered a human hunter, they were usually always welcomed with the utmost respect and always paid that respect back to them. Why were these humans different? Some of them treated her like an--- what was the word called again? Abomination? Yes, that was it. Like some deformed ill-bred thing that didn’t belong in this world. Her expression matched her sour mood as her heart sank further. Her ears were her mother’s favorite, or so she used to say… She would often tweak or flick them to get her attention if she was lost in thought, and she would always laugh when she snapped out of her trance. She shook the memory as her attention fell to the glowing green of her hand. This thing didn’t help her either. She didn’t even have magical abilities like her mother, yet some of the people thought she would burn their houses down or send demons on them and their lands. She almost rolled her eyes at the thought. 

Without warning Eva felt large hands grasping at her sides as she was lifted into the air, a breathless squeak escaped her as Cullen placed her upon his shoulders. She didn’t feel the fuzzy cloak he usually had around his shoulders, but she was met with another surprise when he tossed the material up over his head as it landed on her head. He knew she liked wearing his cloak around, especially during the evening hours when the chill was at its highest. Eva grinned as she shifted against him and clipped the large cloak around her shoulders. The feeling of warmth and the smell of spices hit her senses strongly as she puffed out her chest and thrusted a pointed finger forward. 

“ONWARD MY GOLDEN LION! TO BATTLE WE GO!” She yelled as Cullen smirked, his hands grasped at her legs as he charged forward. Eva squealed as she latched onto the top of his head, laughing as they ran around Haven together. Cullen’s cloak didn’t drag along the ground this time, and it actually managed to cover most of his upper back as they charged around. Cullen noticed a few disapproving stares as some parents shuffled their children inside their houses, but he didn’t care. The kid needed to have fun once in a while and he would be damned if he didn’t entertain her a bit himself. They busted through the entrance of Haven as he rounded near the recruits in training. He had a particular target in mind for their battle as his amber eyes locked on the scout named Jim. He was busy discussing something with the Seeker which gave him the perfect time to attack the man. Cullen stopped as he gathered a handful of snow and began to shape them into small balls, once completed he handed them up to Eva who all too eagerly took them. 

“ATTACK THE FOUL BEAST!” She yelled as she began pelting Jim with snowballs. A roar of laughter tore through Cullen as a snowball smacked Jim square in the face, causing the scout to momentarily freak out before he realized what was happening. Cassandra looked surprised before she saw who was throwing the snowballs, and only chuckled in response. Jim on the other hand was not amused as he wiped the snow from his face with a scowl. 

 

“It seems we conquered and defeated the beast, Lady Herald!” Cullen said as he grinned at Jim who only shot him an annoyed glare. “Now we must celebrate with the rest of our allies for it is a great victory indeed!” He exclaimed while looking to Cassandra. At first she seemed hesitant to play along, feeling some sympathy for the scout, but only nodded in agreement when Eva looked to her as well. As quickly as Cullen, Cassandra had also scooped up some snow in her hands. 

“Jim, just one more thing before I dismiss you.” Said the Seeker. As Jim turned his attention to Cassandra he was unexpectedly met with another blast of snow to the face. Eva squealed with laughter as Cullen and Cassandra joined in. Jim tossed his hands up in defeat before retreating a safe distance from his superiors. 

\----

Eva, Cullen, Cassandra, Varric, and even Solas had gathered around a large fire as they all ate together. It was rare of them to meet like this, but as Cullen said ‘it was a victorious battle worth celebrating’ and besides, who could deny the small elf? Varric practically adored the girl to pieces and she felt equally so as she would listen to him for hours with his famous storytelling. She would only retreat when he managed to draw in a large crowd of people. Cullen and Cassandra obviously adored her as well, both having taken time out of their busy schedules to spend some time with her on a daily. Now there was Solas. He, like Cullen, was not crazy about children in general. However, with Eva bearing the mark and her being an elf in general, there was some interest he had in spending time with her. She would tell him various stories of her mother, and to him it was her way of grieving for her loss, but he also was fascinated by their customs and how they lived. In return she would spend time with him as he told her stories of his encounters of spirits from the fade, fascination clearly in her eyes from his tales. 

“Oh I bet Jim just loved that.” Varric snorted as he rubbed his hands together before putting them near the fire. 

The group laughed as they continued to exchange stories from their lives with one another, all but Eva that is. She wasn’t well traveled like the rest, but she still enjoyed listening to the others. She noticed that there were some things that went unsaid from Cassandra and Cullen in particular, but she could only guess that it was a sore subject for them. It was sad to say but she understood their discomfort. When people expressed to her about the loss of her mother she would often become uncomfortable and twitchy. Eva drew the fluffy cloak Cullen had given here to wear closer to her frame, her cheeks nuzzling the side of the fluff as the warmth of the fire spread through her. It was a good night, for everyone it seemed. 

The sun had set and the stars were shining above Haven, they seemed brighter than usual tonight. The group slowly began to drift apart as hours went passed, most of them retiring to their beds for the evening for an early start in the morning. Eva had already clunked out an hour or so ago, listening to one of Solas’s tales about the fade. It was only Cullen and Varric who stuck around to listen to the elf. 

“I believe we lost someone.” Varric said with a smirk. 

“Yes, she has a habit of doing that.” Cullen chuckled as he rose from his place, brushing off a few crumbs that had fallen in his lap. 

“Can’t blame her, she has more exhausting days than most here.” Varric added as he too rose from his place. He didn’t need to travel too far since his tent was set up near the fire they resided at. 

“Yes, today in particular.” Solas chimed in and Cullen shot him a questionable look. 

“You noticed her mood today, yes?” Solas asked as Cullen nodded. Varric on the other hand was completely lost on the matter. 

“I was there earlier, when she was done with her meeting with the Seeker and Lady Nightingale. She had approached those group of children to see if they would allow her in their game of ‘tag’. Not only did they blatantly reject her, but they insulted her with harsh words towards her and her people.”

“Don’t you associate with the elven people?” Varric quickly asked. It didn’t make much sense for him to say ‘her people’ when he too was an elf.

“Not the Dalish, no.” He added firmly while casting a side glance towards the dwarf. “Like you don’t associate with those of ‘children of the stone’.” Varric quickly tossed his hands up as if saying he understood the point clear as day. 

“It took a blow to her ego and self-esteem, and emotionally she was distressed. I did what I could to distract her, but I fear she will encounter this issue in the future. Especially at her given age.” Solas added as he drew his attention back to the Commander, who looked just short of furious. 

“It was when you came in did she crack but the smallest of smiles.”

“The knife ear comment.” He said with anger laced in his tone.

“An insult to our people.” Solas said as he referred to the elves in general. “I heard it said to me a few times in my journeys across these lands…Among other things.” 

“I’ll speak with Josephine on this matter. She handles the people in general in whatever she does, she should be able to get them to at least not say it directly to her face.” Cullen sighed as he began to rub the back of his neck. He was suddenly aware just how tired he was from the day’s activities. “I imagine she won’t be trying to interact with strangers again, or at least any time soon.” He commented once more, this time it was him speaking his mind.

“Indeed.” Solas nodded as he turned his back to them. 

Cullen made his way over to the sleeping lump that was now curled against the ground, his large cloak engulfing her entire figure and acting as a blanket for the sleeping girl. He gingerly cradled her head as he lifted her off the ground, shifting her just right so her cheek rested against his chest while he held her bridal style. 

“She has a big day tomorrow.” Varric sighed as he tossed another log into the slowly dying fire. 

“Yes. The funeral.” Cullen frowned as he turned to Solas once more. “I will need your help tomorrow, I’m afraid. We don’t know these customs and you-,” he paused while looking away with redden cheeks.

“Am the only other elf in this village.” Solas finished calmly with an amused smiled. 

“Indeed.” Cullen simply stated as ember colored hues looked down to the sleeping elf in his arms. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, like nothing, not even what resided in the fade could possibly disturb her. He was thankful for that much. “Well, I should get her to bed. Goodnight.” Cullen said before turning to leave for Eva’s cabin. Tucking her in was almost becoming routine for the two of them. It was oddly comforting to the man and slightly terrifying. Terrifying in the fact that he was warming up to children because of this girl. Maker help him. 

\----  
Morning came too quickly for Eva and she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day. Solas was the one to rouse her from her dreamless sleep. She was a grumbling mess with her white haired all in disarray. He was patient while she made herself somewhat presentable, though she struggled with various tangles in her hair from her tossing and turning in her sleep. 

 

Most of the day was spent in preparation for the funeral. She knew how they worked for the most part, having attended a few of them while with her clan, but she herself did not tend to the body. She was given the offer but Eva immediately rejected it. She couldn’t. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to see her mother, let alone prep her for what was to come. Eva wasn’t all that good at saying goodbyes in general. So most of the day she spent preparing where her mother would be buried. She picked various flowers of all her favorite colors, and a few favorite colors of her own as she laced them together in a crown. The flower crown as not part of their customs, but she wanted her mother to wear it so a part of her would have her forever. Solas even gave her the option of picking out a tree to plant for her mother. Usually that didn’t happen often, and Eva was all too happy to pick a pine tree. It was her and her mother’s favorite. Don’t you just love the smell of pine trees? She could practically hear her voice in her head as many memories swam in her mind. It truly was exhausting for her, well at least emotionally. By dusk Eva was drained of energy. She was thankful that the adults had left her alone most of the day, allowing her to process the event on her own terms. 

Cassandra, Cullen, Leliana, Varric, Solas, and Josephine were all present. There were even some towns people that had attended as well, but mostly to see what the mother of the child looked like. Eva moved forward, her steps timid and shaky as she approached her mother. She looked beautiful as always, even in death. Her snow white hair neatly tucked behind her ears and the dress she wore was of Dalish. Eva wondered how they managed to get such an item here. She found herself holding her breath as she moved closer, Maker how she wished she would open her eyes and see those sea blue orbs of hers again. Eva bit her lower lip as a sob threatened to escape, but that didn’t stop the tears from slipping down her pale cheeks. Her advisors stayed back while they allowed Eva to say her goodbyes. She was whispering something in elven that none of them understood, all but Solas at least. After what seemed like an eternity the small girl stepped back, her hands fumbling together as she joined the others. Solas then stepped forward and began his part of the funeral, which was to sing the songs of the Dalish people, in elven of course. It represented that life moved on after death and to wish the spirit a safe journey through the fade. 

Eva found herself by Cullen side once more as she practically latched onto his leg. He wasn’t dressed in his amour, thinking it would be inappropriate for the event. So instead he had his leather black pants on and he could feel Eva wiping her tear streaked face against. He felt his heart break a bit as he bent down and picked up the crying girl. Without hesitation her arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. This was probably the hardest thing he had to watch and the others agreed. Josephine dapped at her cheeks at the sight of the Commander and Eva. Even Leliana had to advert her gaze to brush away any tears that had exposed themselves. 

 

Solas finished the song as he moved back to the group, nodding in the direction of the soldiers. It was then Eva remember the colorful crown she made her mother. “WAIT!” She practically screamed and it caused Cullen to jump, as well as the others. She pulled out the flower crown as Cullen placed her on the ground. She nearly tumbled to the ground as she ran to her mother once more. “I-I know it’s not part of our tradition.” She said with a hiccup, followed by a sniffle. “But I wanted you to have a part of m-me with you.” Her voice was cracking as she very gingerly placed the crown on her mother’s head, arranging it just right so it looked absolutely perfect. Her fingers lingered in her mother’s hair for a moment longer as she tried to imprint the memory of how it felt like velvet to her mind.   
“Ghilas atisha, Mamae.” Eva whispered to the woman, hoping in some way she could hear her if she spoke in their language. 

Eva turned her back quickly as she practically ran back to Cullen. He wasted no time as his arms opened, already kneeling to her height as she ran into his arms. He encased her small frame in a tight hug as she cried into his shoulder. He felt her trembling against him and he frowned as he lifted her up off the ground once more. She didn’t watch as the men put her mother into the earth. She couldn’t watch that. So instead her face remained hidden in the fur cloak that Cullen wore. There was a large silence, save for the few sniffles that Eva produced along with a few others. 

“Da’len,” Solas said gently as Eva’s attention shifted to the elf. He said nothing more as she looked down to his outstretched hand, in his palm rested the pine seed for the tree. Eva’s eyes widen as forest green met greyish blue eyes. With surprise she quickly said something in eleven that Cullen and the others did not understand, and Solas responded just as quickly. Eva looked back to Cullen and nodded, getting the gesture he gently set her down once more as she timidly made her way to Solas. Ever so gently she took the seed from his hand, cradling it like it were about to burst from being too rough. 

“You’re sure?” Eva asked as she looked back up to Solas, who was all but towering over her from his height. He nodded once more as he stepped aside, joining back with the others as Eva made her way to the grave site. The soldiers had finished burying her mother into the earth, and now it was her job to plant the new life to grow from the grave. With one hand she began digging a hole just above the disturbed dirt, making sure to get a good size hole so that roots could set in. She watched her mother do this before with her father, and now she knew how she felt when she was left with such a task. Eva gently placed the small seed into the ground, the tips of her fingers lingering on it for a moment before she buried it once more. 

“You’ll need some water so it grows big and strong.” Solas was beside her once more as he cupped a handful of snow. A small fire burst from his palm as the liquid fell to the dirt and was absorbed by the earth. 

“Thank you…” Eva mumbled and he nodded at her once more, retreating back to the group. She stood and dusted the dirt off her clothing as she turned to them. “I want to be alone for a little while… If that’s okay?” They all could hear the sadness in her voice as Josephine stepped forward.

“Of course, and if you need any of us you know where to find us.” She said firmly as she bowed slightly to the girl. Eva nodded and turned her attention back to the grave once again. It wasn’t like the one she saw the humans make. There were no stone or rocks on top of the grave, but soon there would be a tree and that would be the best thing she could see. Cullen had approached Eva as he removed his cloak from his shoulders, gently placing it around the girls shoulder. Eva nodded her thanks as she pulled the material tighter against her. 

“I’ll check on you in a bit.” He said before moving away from her.

She didn’t respond to his statement but she acknowledged it in silence. Small fingers trailed along the disturbed dirt as she made little circles in it. With all the chaos of her hand and these rifts, she wasn’t given time to properly grieve for her loss. It felt like a large lump sat in her throat while her chest felt constricted. Was it going to be like this for now on? Overwhelmed with sorrow and grief whenever she thought of her mother? Biting her lower lip Eva quickly brushed away newly formed tears. “I’ll visit you every day,” she promised aloud knowing there would be no answer for her. “I’ll keep you updated on everything.” She continued to mumble out as she drew her finger away from the dirt. “I wish we hadn’t attended that meeting… It meant you would-,” her voice broke off as her hands rested on her cheeks, feeling the dampness of her tears once more. Was she angry that their clan keeper made mother attend that stupid whatever it was? Yes. She was furious. She would still be here if it weren’t for her and this silly fight among the Mages and Templars. You didn’t need to be well informed on the subject to know that there was a serious issue between the two. Eva heard a lot of stories of certain people being dragged away from their families because of their magical abilities. 

“Was that why you went…?” Her voice was almost a whisper as reality dawned on her. Her mother was a mage and a well-respected one at that, at least in her clan she was. Could the Templars have taken her mother away from her if they found them? Was that why they traveled so much and avoided going to large cities? Eva shook her head at the thought as she leaned back, dragging her knees to her chest. It had to be late based on how high the moon had risen. Yet she didn’t care. She would sit out here all night if given the chance. 

 

\----

 

The moon was high as Cullen pushed open the gates of Haven. Most of the town had already tucked in for the evening. It was colder out too, more snow had fallen tonight and he knew the weather would be annoying to deal with tomorrow. He rounded a small hill that resided in front of the blacksmith house as he approached a small clearing. He wasn’t surprised at all when he was greeted with a small lump in the distance. From the way Eva’s shoulders slacked forward he could tell immediately she had fallen asleep at the foot of her mother’s grave. His heart ached for the young girl as he quietly approached her. He noticed a new addition of flowers on top of the ground and they formed the shape of a heart. To be without a mother at nine years would be difficult. Her advisors now practically raised the girl, all chipping in to keep an eye out for her and guide her into the right direction, it was the least they could do for her. 

He had the small elf in his arms once again as she slumped against his figure. The moonlight lit up her features and he could see dried tear streaks down her cheeks, and it only made his heart break more. The women were an absolute mess earlier when they had left the girl with her mother. Josephine couldn’t stop crying, Cassandra tried to deny that she wasn’t disgruntled but it was blatantly obvious, and Leliana and retreated herself as her voice had lowered a few tones. Even Varric was teary eyed from the event. Solas was the only one who stood strong, not showing a glimmer of sorrow, only compassion when he offered her the small seed to plant. Cullen carefully opened the door to her cabin so he didn’t disturb the small sleeping elf. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up after the emotional hell she had been through all day. With great care he set her down on her bed, ensuring she was wrapped up in his cloak and the blankets so she didn’t catch a chill.

“I am so sorry…” He mumbled softly as he looked at her sleeping form. 

\----

Translations:   
Da’len = Little One/Child.

Ghilas = to go/go to

Atisha = Peace 

Mamae = Mother.


	3. Chapter 3

_Commander,_  
  
The journey to the Storm Coast has proven most successful. The lead regarding the Chargers was in fact true, and we recently struck a deal with their leader who goes by the name ‘Iron Bull’. Eva was reluctant at first, mostly out of fear, but accepted the Chargers as allies of the Inquisition. They should arrive in Haven not long after you receive this letter. Harding breached us on some missing scouts in the area, we have yet to encounter them but will continue to look.  
  
Cassandra paused her writing when she heard shuffling outside her tent. A frown was lined on her lips as her focus went back to the report. She was never good with writing, but was convinced by Leliana to report their travels to keep them as updated as possible, especially since Commander and the Spymaster were held back in Haven by their duties. With an aggravated sigh she continued.   
  
_Eva has not made much progress with her fighting abilities. She wandered off she came across large spiders in a cave and now she refuses to near them. She has never seen a ‘beast’ as big as the spiders here, and it absolutely terrified her. She needs lessons on how to defend herself as soon as we return, and I believe she will do well under your instruction._  
-Seeker Cassandra.  
  
\----  
  
Was the sky damaged here as well? Was that why the sky cries with so much rain? From the moment they arrived it hadn’t let up. She couldn’t leave her tent without getting soaked to the bone. Unfortunately, that did not stop Cassandra from leading their small group. Harding, the second dwarf she has ever seen, claimed that the ‘sea air’ does the soul good. But all it managed to do was dampen her mood. This weather was something that she used to enjoy in her hold. Her clan would often find a cave to reside in and light a large fire for warmth. Eva would always be curled up at her mother’s side, listening to her hum a happy tune. A small frown tugged her lips as they moved forward. If she concentrated enough she could almost hear her song.  
  
This moment, this exact moment was the always the worst for her. Everything in her life changed after the explosion. The ache in her heart always reminded her of everything and everyone she loved. Certain smells or sounds would often trigger these memories and it felt like as if she was being choked. Her heart would ache, lungs burning but unable to draw in any air. She was heavily grieving, and it woke another monster within in. Anger. _I think the others know as well._ Her frown deepened.  
  
“Hey Turtle Dove.”  
  
_Right on cue_ Eva looked over to Varric and forced out a small smile. “Why do you call me that?” She asked as she turned her attention on Varric and nearly stumbled over a rock that was beneath the sand. She was grateful they didn’t try to climb up any hills. Cassandra insisted they stayed near the shoreline, in the event they run into supplies from the missing soldiers. They were unsuccessful.  
  
  
“You mean turtle dove?” Varric asked as he rose a brow. No one had ever questioned his nicknames before. She was the first. “Ah, just a term of endearment. You grew on me, kid.” The dwarf smirked when he heard Cassandra grunt with disapproval.  
  
“Yes but _why_ turtle dove?” Eva asked again.  
  
“Your hair.” Varric simply replied.  
  
Eva stopped for a moment as the dwarf passed her. Confusion masked her features while she gingerly plucked up a lock of hair and began to examine it. “My hair? But my hair isn’t a dove or a turtle.” Eva mumbled while twirling the lock between her small fingers. A snort emitted from the dwarf while Solas politely chuckled from behind her.  
  
“I believe he is trying to convey that it is your hair color that reminds him of such a name,” Solas offered while a small smile.  
  
 Blinking, she looked back to the other elf before looking to her hair once more. She knew she had a usual hair color, and the only other person she saw with hair like her was her mother.   
  
“Turtle dove is a type of bird you usually see around winter. Your hair is white like snow and it reminds me of winter. Turtle doves have white feathers as well, so I thought it   befitting for you. Besides,” Varric turned around to face her. He leaned forward while gently grabbing her cheek and gave it a little tug. “You’re just so adorable! How could I not call you that?”  
  
With a stunned expression she opened and closed her mouth as she tried to think of something to say. A small tint of pink made its way to her pale cheeks as she narrowed her eyes and smacked his hand away from her face. “So weird.” She grumbled to herself before quickly moving forward to catch up with the Cassandra, who was now waiting impatiently for the three of them to follow along. Varric’s laughter could be heard behind her and Eva suppressed the feeling to roll her eyes. Cassandra must’ve felt her embarrassment when Cassandra smirked at her briefly before turning and continuing their path.  
  
\----  
Much to their dismay they had finally stumbled upon the missing troops, and there wasn’t much to recover from them. They had been murdered, possibly even tortured to death. The sight of it made her stomach roll into knots as if she were going to be sick. It was then she realized she didn’t handle the sight of blood very well. They managed to track down the bandits that captured their troops and seek out vengeance… Well Cassandra, Varric, and Solas got the vengeance. She was forced to stay behind a row of bushes and to remain out of sight. She thought she would be able to fight something at Coast, but everything they ran into was immensely larger than her and would have gained the advantage on the field… Or so Cassandra said.  
  
  
  
  
 Other than recruiting Iron Bull and trying to aid refugees, she felt completely useless to her group. _Iron Bull._ Now that was someone she would never be able to forget. She’d never seen anyone like Bull before and for that matter she’d never seen anyone with actual horns on their head, aside from demons of course. But he was nice enough to her and the group. Cassandra was the one to run the actual questions of their intentions of joining the Inquisition, but left it up to her to make the final say. Now that made no sense, but it was apparently her job to recruit people. And according to Varric, Cassandra was excellent with getting questions answered from strangers.  
  
“Eva,” Cassandra’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she looked up. Her eyes immediately widen at their location.  
  
“I’m _not_ going in that cave!” She snapped and immediately retreated behind Solas. There was a small chuckle that emitted from the older elf, something that very rarely happened and it seemed she was the only one that could produce his rare laughter.  
  
“Ugh, there is nothing to be afraid of.” Cassandra exclaimed with a long sigh. Eva could tell Cassandra was more impatient than usual. Or at least that was what Varric said. She knew getting back to Haven was the main priority now, and that they had been gone longer than they originally said they would be. She would see Cassandra hand letters to their recruits at camp, knowing full well they were going to Haven. Possibly updating her advisors of their status.  
  
“Those creatures are bigger than me! It’s bigger than all our bodies combined, actually!” Eva narrowed her eyes as she eyebrows drew together. She peaked around Solas’s legs and looked into the darkened cave ahead. She couldn’t see anything but she could _hear_ that monstrous things crawling around inside “It has too many eyes and a big wiggly butt, and did you not notice it spitting stuff at us?!” She snapped as she hid behind Solas’s legs once more, earning another chuckle from the observant elf.  
  
“Spiders spit out poison, turtle dove.” Varric chimed in.  
  
Cassandra grunted with disapproval as she shot Varric a sideway glare. “Thank you, because getting her to go in there wasn’t hard enough!” Cassandra moved ahead of the group and drew out her long sword while the large shield guarded her body. “I’ll go in first and clear a path, does that make you feel better?” She asked before looking over her shoulder to the small girl. Eva bit her lower lip as she peaked around Solas once more. No, it didn’t make her feel better. She didn’t like the dark and certainly didn’t like creatures that could easily eat her in one bite.  
  
“No, not-ah!” Eva squeaked when a strong pair of hands gingerly gripped her hips as she was hoisted into the air. Solas had lifted her up into his arms and cradled her against his chest.  
  
“Would it help if I hold you? I am rather tall after all, they can’t reach you up here.” The elf offered an amused smile, but after a moment of shock Eva nodded and wrapped her arms around him and shoved her face into the crook of his neck.  
  
“I don’t want to see them.” She mumbled out with disapproval as Solas nodded towards the Seeker.  
  
“Lead the way,” Solas commented as he started behind Cassandra and Varric. They had charged in without warning and struck down anything in their path. Well, at least Cassandra did. Varric hung back behind the her and shot a few spiders here and there with his trusted cross bow. Eva felt her body tense when she heard the crawling of the spiders drawing near, but Solas rubbed her back reassuringly as Cassandra’s war cry echoed in the dark. A few more moments passed before she could hear the waves of the ocean crashing along the shore again.  
  
“It’s safe now.” Solas said softly as she lifted her gaze up once more and was greeted with the sight of their camp site. Relief instantly flooded her as she practically scrambled out of the elf’s arms and towards the camp, Cassandra was already stationed near the fire as she began to clean her weapon free of blood and remnants of the spiders.  
  
“We need to get back to Haven as soon as possible. We’ll rest here for the night, then leave tomorrow at dawn. I advise everyone to get some sleep.” Eva didn’t need convincing as she quickly entered her tent. She stripped herself free of the wet clothing, which was all thanks to none stop rain of this blasted place, and changed into her jammies. Which was really only a long white tunic that reached below her knees. She didn’t understand how Cassandra could sleep in her armor… Wasn’t she uncomfortable with all that gear on? Plus she was just as drenched as she was, so she was damp WITH heavy gear on. No, it didn’t sound nice at all. Once Eva was settled she popped her head out of her tent flap and spotted Solas near the fire.  
  
“Solas! Can you tell me more stories of your adventures? Her voice held excitement while waving him over. Solas was a nice distraction when she wasn’t sleepy. Most nights she would clunk out as soon as her head hit the bedroll, but lately she was fascinated with his recent tales in the fade. She never knew anyone to converse with spirits, not even anyone in her clan had done such a thing. They often forbade it in fear of being a monster, but she didn’t know much about that. Her mother wielded the magic in their family, not her.  
  
“I would be happy to share them” Solas said. She moved aside for him as he ducked his way in. It was obvious she was not coming out of her tent to fire, which was only constantly burning because of his magic. It had been this way for the last few nights now but he didn’t mind. Normally people thought his tales to be uninteresting or morally wrong, but not Eva. She was fascinated with the idea of becoming friends with spirits. Her mind was not completely tainted with the idea that all spirits were bad, which gave him headway to give her a different output on the entire subject.  
  
“Where were we in our previous discussion?” He asked as he settled near her bedroll. With a small flick of his wrist a small flame formed in the palm of his hand. Another thing he provided was warmth before she had to rely on her body heat to keep her warm through the chilled nights.  
  
“The battlefields!” She exclaimed. Solas was slightly taken back when she did not retreat to her bedroll as she had done every night since their storytelling. Instead, she climbed into his lap and adjusted herself so her legs hung over his knee as her right side was pressed against his chest. The sudden contact caught him off guard as he blinked a few times. It had been a long time since Solas felt like he had a companion to relate to, to trust. He was also not the best with children, finding them annoying and mostly a nuisance. But here he was, with an elven child who was truly fascinated with his tales of the fade and wanting to learn more about spirits. He was beginning to enjoy her company, and dare he say was thinking of her as a friend? Regardless of young she was, this opportunity to teach did not come to him often, especially with other elves he encountered. They were set in their ways, their knowledge dangerously inaccurate. Any attempt to enlighten them had led to hostile environments.  
  
“Has your clan’s Keeper educated you about the elven gods?” His curiosity got the best of him. Eva blinked with surprise before a serious expression grew on her features. After a moment, she hummed and shook her head. “Do you know of dread wolf?” He pressed further.  
  
“Oh yes!” Eva exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. “Keeper said he was the god of deception. We had a shrine for him, but it wasn’t ever included with the others.” Her hands then parted and rested on her lap. “I left some flowers out for him though…”  
  
_That_ caught his attention. Solas looked down to her as he brought the small flame to rest in front of them. “Why did you leave his shrine flowers if he is a god of deception and lies?” He almost wanted to kick himself for asking such a foolish question, but had to admit he was curious to see what the child’s logic of the matter was.  
  
“It looked lonely,” Eva mumbled a bit, embarrassment in her tone as she looked up to Solas. “The other shrines had meats, flowers, and small trinkets offered to them but no one ever did anything for his shrine. I know he wasn’t viewed as a good god, but he was still a _god_ right? He had to have done something _good_ to become a god.”  
  
Eva paused for a moment when she felt her heart clench in her chest. “That’s… What momma told me at least... Everyone didn’t like her answer.” Solas could hear the sadness her in voice and unbeknownst to Eva his heart broke for her. Another elf fallen, and by his own doing. To watch this girl, live her life on her own without her mother. There would be developments and questions only a mother could answer. Hopefully the Cassandra, Leliana, or Josephine would be able to guide her in that awkward stage of life. And if it was one thing he could relate to it would be the girls loneliness. That was something he was an expert in, besides his vast knowledge of the People and the fade.  
  
“A wise woman your mother was.” Solas commented thoughtfully as he felt nod her head in agreement. “So, the battlefields is where we left off, yes?” That seemed to lift her spirts as Eva looked up to him with eagerness in her eyes  
  
“Yes.” She hummed.  
  
The next hour of the evening was spent telling tales of fallen warriors and kings of the fade. He intentionally left out any gore and blood, knowing full well the impact it would have on her. Eva had asked numerous questions about the race and the origins of the fallen warriors, and what had feuded their passion for battle. Solas was impressed that she could conjure such questions for her age but he happily sated her curiosity.  
Two hours had gone by when he felt her body slump against him. Her heart beat and breath were even. It had never taken this long for her to fall asleep, which meant she must’ve been truly entertained. It was a much needed distraction. The others and he had noticed her gloom attitude since coming to the Coast. The flame in his palm diminished as he gingerly shifted Eva from his lap and into her bedroll. Gingerly, he brushed a few strands of hair from her face before securing the blanket over her small form. If not for her current situation he could easily mistake her current appearance for that of peace. With a low sigh he turned, leaving the girl to her dreams.     
  
“She has taken a liking to you, chuckles.” Solas was met Varric’s gaze while he polished Bianca clean.  
  
“Perhaps a bit.”  
  
“A bit?” Varric asked. “I’ve ever only see her interact like that with curly. Trust me, kid likes you. Can’t see why she wouldn’t.” He added sarcastically which made Solas click his teeth in response.  
  
\----  
  
Cassandra grunted for what seemed like the tenth time in a minute. They were hardly making progress back to Haven. For only being on the road a day and they had run into a multitude of issues such as bandits, more rifts that were surrounded by demons, and now they were down one horse. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably when she felt her midsection tighten with pressure. Eva sat rigidly behind her for half the afternoon now, and she thought the girls grip around her couldn’t get any stronger. She was wrong. Unbeknownst to everyone Eva had a fear of horses. It wasn’t like they had any reason to question her relationship to the animal. Cassandra would often spot her down at the stables every other day, offering the mares fruit of some kind. However, when they departed from the Coast Harding provided one extra mount for the group. Eva tried to get the horse to start in a trot to catch up with the others, but it only resulted with her being bucked off and thrown into the air. After that she refused to ride the horse.  
  
Cassandra sighed lowly at the memory. Eva suffered a few injuries and the bruising would set in later, Solas did all he could to help take most of the pain away. After that she offered to walk back to Haven instead. Cassandra was grateful that Solas was around to talk to her. He had been able to coax her into riding with one of them. What blew her mind the most is when Eva picked to ride with her. Something about being ‘in control’ all the time so the horses would more likely listen to her? It made Varric snort with amusement.  
  
“You doing alright back there?” Her thick accent broke the silence and she thought she felt Eva tremble slightly when she nodded her answer. Poor thing must be terrified. “Just a few more miles and we’ll take a break.”  
  
“Sounds delightful, Seeker.” Varric chimed in happily as he set the pace with her horse. She knew he was only riding near them to comfort Eva. As much as Varric annoyed her, he did make a damn good story teller. _I should ask him about Swords and Shields…_ She could feel her cheeks flare up at the random thought as she forced her view forwards to the dirt road ahead.  
  
“So I said to the guy---. Seeker, dare I say you are blushing?” Varric grinned.  
  
“What? I am not! Do not make such silly accusations!” She snapped back at the dwarf. She felt vibration from behind her as Eva laughed at the two of them.  
  
“Oh come now. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Tell me, was it my charming voice luring you into such bliss?” He was more or less taunting her for the sake of Eva and she knew it. It was the first time they heard her laugh all day, besides… He owed the her a few shots, anyways. Though she would never admit it.  
  
“Ugh.” She snorted out while shaking her head. Suddenly her horse came to a halt as she led them off to the side of the road. The others followed. Cassandra was first to dismount but before she could reach for Eva, Solas had already had her lifted into the air as he set her gently on the ground. It was odd watching the two of them together. It seems this trip had brought the two elves closer together in friendship. She hardly acted this way towards anyone save for Cullen. Solas had taken hold of the reins  of the horse with one hand while he held onto Eva’s hand with the other.  They made their way to a small stream that was just up ahead so that the mare could drink.  
  
“Should we?” Cassandra asked aloud but saw Varric already answering with a shake of the head.  
  
“No I think chuckles is trying to prove a point here.” When she looked back to the two Eva was held in Solas’ arms as they stood just in front of the mare. Eva timidly stretched her hand outward, pausing just before she touched the snout. It looked as if Solas muttered something encouraging to Eva as she began to close the space between her and the mare. Gingerly she brushed her finger tips along the top of its snout, the mare gently nudged her back with its nose and for a moment she froze. Another whisper of encouragement and continued to pet the  mare. She was timid in her movements but when the animal showed no aggressiveness towards her, she grew more confident in her strokes as she began to explore the horses’ side. Solas was speaking again but they couldn’t quite hear what he was saying. Whatever he said it had Eva giggling in response.  
  
Cassandra smirked. “You’re right. We’ll get our chance.”  
  
“I’m sorry, can I have that in writing? Did you say I am right?” He gleeful asked while shooting her a brilliant smile.  
  
“Ugh. Shut up, Varric.”  
 

\----  
  
  
  
  
  
Cassandra sighed when the gates of Haven came into her view. Thank the Maker. She had never been so happy to see their base camp. Even if it meant more work for her to do, she welcomed it. Aside from Varric being the annoying thorn in her side, Eva was making little progress in her comfortableness with riding on a horse. There was also the matter of her learning to fight. Commander Cullen would oversee her training since he had the most experience, at least with training someone. What it came down to was what she was best at. Was she a good shot with an arrow and trainable with a bow? Would she be better off with a two handed weapon and be able to block shots as well as serve them? Or would your standard sword and shield work better for her balance and size? This was not a question she looked forward to seeing answered. It meant bashing the girl about more than once so she would learn to block a blow. And if that didn’t work, she would have to learn a different skill set with other painful results.  
  
A frown tugged at her lips as she tightened her grip on the reigns. She remember her training days weren’t fun. A lot of the time the session would end early because she took on a serious wound or was knocked completely unconscious. But how else would the Herald learn? You can only do so much with directional before you have to apply the practice. Despite the injuries, this is a lesson well learned that will undoubtedly save her life one day. Her own mentors taught her that.

  
“Herald, do you have any knowledge of combat?” She casted a side glance for a moment before turning her attention back to the road. They were nearing the gates.  
  
“I’ve never fought before, no… I saw my mother in battle though?” Eva tightened her grip a little when the pace increased.  
  
“Wasn’t she a mage?”  
  
“Mhm…” She mumbled, her tone dropping a bit. She didn’t like discussing her mother. It was just a few weeks ago that she had to put her to rest, any memories now or then just soured her mood significantly. But she had only ever seen her mother fight. Their clan usually avoided scuffles with other people unless attacked directly.  
  
“After some rest you will need to learn offense and defense in battle. It will not be easy and it will not be enjoyable. You will be lucky to walk away with just a bruise on most days.”  
  
“Way to be positive, Seeker.” Sarcasm was clearly in Varric’s tone. Cassandra all but rolled her eyes as she grunted in his direction.  
  
“I will not lie to the Herald, _Varric_.” She said his name as if she had poison in her mouth. “The Herald needs to know the truth. This is going to be a rough training, especially with the Commander. He will push her to the brink before he allows her to rest.”  
  
An audible sigh slipped past her lips as Eva pressed her forehead against Cassandra’s back. “Oh, _now_ I’m really looking forward to it. Thanks Cassandra.”  
  
  
Varric snorted. He was so proud of his turtle dove in moments like this. She used to be such a timid thing, but now she is showing him and everyone else her personality. The true Eva behind the mask. He enjoyed that about people, but most importantly he enjoyed Eva leaning and applying his sarcastic nature. It only annoyed the Seeker that much more to have Eva using sarcasm, the rest was simply his company.  
  
“Open the gates! The Herald has returned!”  A guard yelled from their post.  
  
Slowly the gates opened enough for the three horses to move through. “Welcome back Herald. Your presence is required in the War Room. You as well Seeker Cassandra.” The guard said with a small bow before manning the gates once more.  
  
Cassandra and Eva groaned with misery in unison.  



	4. Chapter 4

Solas silently watched from a distance as the Commander and the Herald began their training. It had been hours now and she had made little progress. Nevertheless, it was still _progress._ The Seeker had been right on the account of Cullen not being easy or gentle with her. There were a few instances he found himself having to restrain from lashing out at the man for being too rough with his brutal methods. It was odd to feel this over protectiveness over the girl, odder because he felt a bond with her that grew with each passing day with their recent travels.  
  
He winced. That had to hurt.   
  
“Again!” Cullen shouted as he drew his shield upwards, waiting for Eva to get back up.   
  
She was exhausted. Her body ached in places she didn’t know existed, and her skin was becoming black and blue and purple. Cassandra wasn’t kidding when she said this would stink, on top of that she felt like she made little progress with blocking this shield bash. She was smaller than the Commander and he clearly had the upper advantage. Thought that was no excuse, according to him. But how would she handle an enemy his size in a real situation? With a grunt, Eva rolled onto her side as she got up off the ground. Every muscle in her body screamed as she pulled her shield up in front of her figure, nodding in Cullen’s direction.   
  
At this point she memorized his technique of approaching her. He would take a slow step forward, then lunge out and thrust his shield outwards and into hers. And every time she could _never_ keep her blasted shield from faltering under the strain. She watched him carefully as he approached her slowly, and sure enough within seconds he lunged forward and in another blink of an eye she went flying backwards, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Thankfully she had her custom made helmet, otherwise her head would have taken the impact of the fall.   
  
“Again!” He called out and Eva groaned.   
  
“I can’t do it again!” She protested angrily before throwing her shield aside. “I don’t have any stamina left!”

  
“Herald I understand you are tired, but it is important you learn this technique before your departure.” Cullen replied with a long sigh. He was just as tired as she was. This wasn’t fun for him either. He winced every time he knocked into her, cringed every time she went flying back and his heart practically broke when she hit the ground. This was torture to endure for both parties.  
  
  
A low growl formed in her throat as she rose from the ground, tearing off her helmet and practically throwing it to the ground. “I can’t do this! We’ve been at it for five hours and I’m tired! I can barely lift the shield, let alone walk at this point!” She snapped back as she glared at the Commander.   
  
“Herald, please understand —.”  
  
“No!” She snapped. “I didn’t ask for this, this responsibility! I’m not a fighter! I- I…” It felt like she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. It felt like her chest was on fire and that fire was creeping slowly up her throat, almost like she would be sick any moment. Turning quickly on her heels, she ran. Ran as fast as she could away from Cullen and the training grounds. There was no destination in mind, but she didn’t want to be around him or anyone. Since they’ve been back she hadn’t had a moment to breathe. Between all the meetings, her stupid training that didn’t seem to be going well no matter how hard she tried, and now having another mission to have to go out on, she felt overwhelmed and nauseous.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity her feet slowed to a familiar place. Stopping completely, Eva collapsed into the snow. This is where she needed to be. “Ar isala ne,” the wind ghosted her voice as she curled onto her side, hugging her knees to her chest. “Ir souveri,” she whispered to the grave she now rested upon as she tried to force back the sniffles that threatened to escape. “I miss you...,” biting her lower lip, she felt her cheeks dampen as she rested her forehead against her knees, allowing the exhaustion to finally claim her.   
  
\----  
  
It did not take him long to track her down. He knew exactly where she fled to. Safety, security, and comfort. All things she craved but was at a loss. Earlier he advised the others to leave her be and let her vent her frustrations out. She needed time to process the new change, and to process her grief. It wasn’t long before he approached a figure curled in a ball and half buried in snow, and despite the fact she was shivering from the cold, she slept soundly. He stopped a few feet from the grave to simply observe her. He did not blame her for the outburst earlier, though unprofessional it may have been. She had been pushed to her limit and then some, and had no rest in between since their arrival to Haven. Though he had not been part of the meetings, he knew she was tied up in their war room trying to work out the best strategies to gain more favor of the people and allies for the Inquisition. Truly, she had no break and he almost pitied her.   
  
He approached with slowly, carefully brushing away some of the snow from her sleeping form and earned a small mumble from the small elf. He bit back an amused smirk as he lifted her up off the ground and cradled her against his chest, giving a nod to the grave before turning and heading back to the town. Here he was again, tending to a person, an elven child after he, many years ago claimed to be void of emotions for others. Yet he found himself drawn to this girl mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She was not like anyone he had encountered in his life time of wanderings, and she was only just a child, not having yet lived her life to the fullest and developed her way of thinking let alone her full personality. What would become of her when she was an adult? Would she be like the rest of the Dalish elves? Naïve in their precious ways of their understandings of elven history? Or would she differ from them since she had no clan to relate to? At least currently. It truly intrigued him. There was an advantage to this at least. Eva was curious by nature, and often sought his wisdom on matters that would often be viewed as incorrect in the eyes of the Dalish. Since she now lacked her clan, he had the upper hand of teaching her the correct versions of history and elven lore.   
  
A murmur brought his attention back to the girl in his arms, and he found himself with the smallest of smiles lined on his lips. A smile that was reserved only for her that rarely others saw. What was it about her that brought this side out of him? Until recently he wasn’t even aware this side even existed. Truly, these last few weeks were full of surprises. He felt the edges of her armor press into his tunic. Ah yes, that would pose an issue. He was certain both the Spymaster and Seeker were well asleep, and there was no way he would have the Commander dress her for bed. Alas, he would have to wake her after all.    
  
“Lethallan,” Solas said gently but gained no response. This time he lowered his head so his mouth lined with her ear. “Lethallan.” He said once more, earning a small groan in protest and a string of incoherent mumbles. He chuckled. “I apologize for waking you, but you can’t sleep in your armor.” Solas added as he pushed opened the door to her cabin.   
  
It took Eva a few moments to realize what was going on.  Her head rose slowly from the warmth of his body, blinking a few times as she looked around the room. How did she…? Oh, that’s right. She fell asleep at near her mother. Her anger had longed passed, thankfully. Though now it was replaced with sadness and loneliness. “Er… Thanks for coming to find me.” She mumbled out with embarrassment as he set her down.   
  
“Of course. Well, goodnight.” Solas nodded and offered a small smile before turning to leave. Eva felt a surge of panic rush through her as she leaped forward and grabbed hold of his hand.   
  
“Wait!” She practically shouted, causing Solas to pause instantly. He turned and stared at her with questioning concern. Her panic shifted to mortification. How could she possibly word this without feeling like a complete idiot? Biting her lower lip, she immediately dropped his hand and lowered her gaze to the ground. “I… I miss my Mamae and I feel lonely lately… I miss my clan too. Ca-Can you stay with me please? Just for tonight? I felt happy when you and the others were near me when we traveled to the Coast. Sleeping alone has been an adjustment…” Eva swore her cheeks were burning up all the way to the tips of her ears. The question sounded better in her head.     
  
Solas stared at her, his reaction was that of surprise though his expression was neutral. He knew the Dalish clans slept close together, often bundled together for protection purposes so this is something she had been used to for nine years. But to sleep with her? Was that appropriate as one of her traveling companions? He directed his gaze elsewhere as he thought this over. Truly it wouldn’t mean anything, more for comfort sake on her end. And there was a night that she had fallen asleep in his tent at their trip to the Coast. She had an issue with the Seeker’s snoring, which was rather humorous to him and the Child of the Stone. After a moment of prolonged silence, Solas looked back to Eva who was staring holes into the ground. “I believe that is acceptable. I will depart so you can ready yourself for bed and be back in twenty minutes time.”   
  
Green hues shot up to meet greyish blue as a wide smile spread across her lips. She nodded as she scattered away to prepare for bed as he stepped out to gather his own things for the evening. Was this really a good idea? Probably not…But what harm could it bring if he stayed with her for one night? Besides, it was not like they would be sharing a bed. He would take the chair or the floor.  
  
\----  
  
As true to his word Solas appeared exactly on time. Eva looked him once over, noticing he hadn’t changed into anything different. Did he not sleep like the rest of them? Her eyes fell onto the various papers gathered in his grip as she rose a brow in curiosity. “What’s all that?”   
  
“I presumed you would like to continue our discussion before you retire for the evening. These are sketches I made of my journeys, each having a story behind them.” He said simply, placing the papers on the stand next to her bed. “But first, I believe you acquire attention.”   
  
Eva blinked in confusion at his statement, then it dawned on her. She had struggled earlier in getting out of her armor and clothing earlier. The afternoon session with Cullen left her battered, and most of her skin was kissed with purple and blue blotches that reached from her torso to her limbs. It then dawned on her that she would have to do it all again tomorrow, and she felt her lips tug down into a frown. “Do you mind if I sit on the bed? I really need the support.” Eva quipped as her attention went back to Solas, who watching the change of her expressions and mood. He nodded in approval as she climbed onto the large mattress, cringing slightly as her muscles protested with each movement.   
  
“You will need to lean forward so I can access your back.” Solas brought a chair beside the bed and took a seat. Eva nodded as she shifted slowly, pushing herself forward with a wince and a disgruntled expression.   
  
“I think I pulled something. This is as far as I can go.” She could feel the strain in her muscles as she fought to hold the position, and Solas sighed. She wasn’t _trying_ to be difficult, and it certainly wasn’t her fault, but if she moved forward any further and she would scream.   
  
“I have a solution but with your permission.” Solas said. His voice sounded strained and tired. Had she upset him? Was he uncomfortable with all this and simply not telling her about it? That was obviously not what she wanted. Regardless, she nodded her head and watched him rise from his seat. She blinked when she felt the bed dip from his weight. Solas moved behind her as his legs parted so that she was centered between them. “Please hold your position.” His hands gently grazed along her lower back before she felt a cooling effect seep into her muscles. Shuddering at first, her body then shifted into a relaxed state.  
  
“That’s helping, thank you.” Eva sighed in relief. Whatever he was doing it was taking the stabbing pain she had felt earlier away. Solas said nothing as he continued his work, moving from her lower to her upper back, to her neck and shoulders, then finally her arms. As long as she was able to seek treatment, and perhaps obtain elfroot, she would be in good enough shape to continue her training with the Commander.   
  
The warmth of his hands retracted from her as he began to shift away, moving back to the chair. Abruptly, Eva grasped his arm and shook her head. She wanted him near, like the night she sat in his lap when he shared his stories of the fade. This of course took the elf completely by surprise as he froze in place, looking down at her as she casted a side glance in his direction. “I’m really comfortable. Besides, I can see the drawings better if you stay here.” Offering a small smile, she turned her attention to the nightstand and grasped the papers gingerly, making sure to be mindful in her movements.   
  
Solas was still as a statue, assessing the situation he was currently in. He hadn’t meant to stay in this position, only to aid in soothing her injuries. But she already had his sketches and was handing it over to him, how would he be able to get up now without completely disappointing her? With an internal sigh, he took the sketches and nodded. If anything, it brought back memories of the time at the Coast with her.   
  
“These sketches are all from the fade?” She asked as his arms moved around her so that the pictures were placed in front of her.  
  
“Indeed. I recalled the places I visited, wanting to give you a better understanding of what I came across during my wanderings. Battles of old, fallen kings, and forgotten temples and ruins.”  
    
The next two hours went by most peacefully for the two, as he shared his stories of each building, ruin, and fallen hero. She asked various questions and good ones at that, ones that he would not expect from someone her age. He was surprised she showed as much interest as he did in his tales, enough that he could go one forever about them. It was a pity that she could not visit the fade as he could, showing her personally would be much more rewarding rather than trying to paint a picture for her. Her interest revolved solely around spirits, having never encounter one before she was curious as to what their nature was like, and how one would avoid corruption if the spirit became a demon. A most difficult task for most, but for him it was no issue. Most of his companions were spirits, but she needn’t know that. Truly, she was an intriguing person.   
  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
“Herald, it is time to wake ---.”   
  
Josephine instantly fell silently when she walked into Eva’s room. The sight was too adorable to pass up. Being as silent as she was able, she quickly left only to return with Leliana and Cullen. The three of them saw Eva curled against Solas’s chest as he remained in an upright position, his mouth hanging slightly open as a soft snore emitted from him. It was the cutest thing Josephine and Leliana encountered since coming to Haven, though the Commander disagreed entirely and was truly annoyed for being bothered so early in the morning and torn away from his troops to see Eva still slumbering when she should be getting ready for her lessons.   
  
It was about an hour later that she actually emerged from her cabin, Solas had left earlier in the morning, having being awoken from the advisors _and completely embarrassed by them._ Eva on the other hand seemed in better spirits than she had in all her time at Haven. She finally got a decent night’s rest and didn’t feel entirely alone in the process. Though she felt a hinge of guilt. Solas had fallen asleep long before she did as he spoke about an ancient ruin. She had been so comfortable against him and it felt like she was back with her clan members, all piled together for warmth while they slept. It was a selfish act, one she wouldn’t repeat but nevertheless enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Very good! Now keep practicing that routine for ten minutes. Then we'll give it a shot." Cullen had never had the time in his life to settle down and start a family. It was like Eva unlocked a side to him that he wasn’t aware he had. Of course, he had the opportunity to settle down. Throughout adult life he had several marriage proposals from countless nobles. Some brat that their parents attempted to shove in his lap. Even his sister had been persistent in trying to convince him to settle down, when she was able to track him down that is. He may be a good solider, but children were foreign to him.  
  
When he first met Eva she had been timid, unsure of everyone here. But as the weeks turned to months she practically became attached to him and it had surprised him greatly. She stuck around his side while training the recruits, came to his meetings with his soldiers (usually sitting atop his shoulders), they ate lunch together, attended war meetings together, and often spent time out near the camp fire together. She would often sit near him while he trained the recruits, sometimes commenting on their stance or stating they would be dead. It always made him chuckle.  
  
Cullen paused his musings as his attention was drawn to his recruits. "You there! There is a shield in your hand, block with it!" He snapped, the man in question instantly snapping upwards to salute to Cullen.

"Ser, yes Commander!" The soldier said quickly while looking completely embarrassed. Cullen could only roll his eyes as his amber gaze was drawn back to the small elf who was now bashing her shield forward.   
  
He noticed Eva was spending a great amount of time with Solas, too. He was one of her traveling companions, he often shared knowledge of her people's background, which was something he couldn't provide her. Solas knew more history of the elves, the fade, and spirits… Eva was practically drawn to Solas like a beacon. _Ridiculous._ His scarred mouth twisted just a bit. There was no way he was jealous. Though, the child did provide a small amount of reprieve and memories with his troops in training.

"Alright, how do you feel?" Cullen broke the silence between them, watching Eva's face twist from concentrated to surprise from the sudden question. He felt somewhat better when she responded with a wide grin and a confident nod. "Good, let's give it a shot. I just want you to perform a shield bash on me to start." Cullen grabbed his shield and held it in front of him, signaling Eva to start when she was ready.

Setting the sword down, she turned to face the him as she held her own shield in front of her person. Seeing his nod, she returned one of her own while narrowing her eyes. Eva dug her heels into the ground and lunged forward, her shield smashing viciously into Cullen's shield. _Yes, perfect! Good form!_   
  
  
The thought didn’t last long. Instead and sending him back as he wanted, she came forward along with her shield as her forehead cracked against the metal, causing the two shields to collide. For a moment Eva froze in place as her green hues went wide, her gaze met Cullen's who looked equally as stunned. "Ow…" Eva mumbled. Cullen wasted no time as the shield he held was tossed aside. He lunged forward, catching Eva's unconscious body in his arms as she slumped into his chest.

"Eva!" Cullen picked her up quickly into his arms as he looked over her face, seeing a hint of blood trickling down the front of her forehead. "Makers balls. Can we just get through one training exercise without damaging you?" He wasn't lecturing her as much as he was himself. This whole experience for her had been a disaster. He turned sharply on his heels, "Cassandra! See that the recruits finish their exercise for the day, then start them on practice rounds. I'm taking Eva to Adan."

The Seeker stopped mid swing at a dummy as she shot Cullen a questioning look. He hadn't caught her reaction as he pushed the gates open, ignoring the constant stares and small mumbles about the Herald being injured… _again._ He internally sighed. This was at least the third time this week she has required a healer. At this rate Eva and her party were never going to make it to Mother Gisselle.

"Commander?" A familiar voice caught his attention as he rounded up the stairs that lead to Adan's cabin. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Solas standing outside his cabin. Did the man ever go inside or did he just sleep and eat outside? He eyed a book in the elf's hands that suddenly snapped shut as Solas's gaze fell on Eva crumpled against Cullen's chest. "Another training accident I presume?" It took everything to keep a causal composure. He did notice the cold tone in Solas’s voice as the elf slightly narrowed his eyes at him.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. I was about to see Adan to patch her up." Solas immediately held up his hand and shook his head.

"The man is far too busy trying to create and send out potions for the soldiers in the Hinterlands. The requests are endless." Solas tucked his hands behind his back and straightened his form. "Surely, I can provide Eva the same care, if not more so."

"Are you saying you are more qualified than Adan?" Cullen snapped suddenly. He instantly wanted to kick himself. Why was he so suspicious of this man...? No. _I am not jealous_. He snarled at himself while managing to keep a straight face.

Solas blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst but the shocked expression quickly vanished and was replaced with a cool expression. "That is not for me to decide, just merely pointing out that the man is busy doing the job he is trained to do. I've healed Eva before, I'm sure I can manage again." His tone was clipped as he stepped away from the Commander, turning his back to him as he headed to his cabin. The door made a small groan of protest as it opened, Solas stood aside and gestured him in.  
  
  
 Much to dismay Cullen accepted the mages help. He didn't need their Herald waiting to be healed. "You can place her on the bed." Solas politely said while keeping busy, seeing to the fire so the room was significantly warmer than before. Cullen said nothing as he gently put Eva down against the mattress. She was still out like a light and now had a purple blueish blotch forming against her forehead. A frown tugged his lips as he gingerly brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"May I suggest an option to you, Commander?" Solas was now standing near the bedside as Cullen took a step back, giving the mage room to work.

"To what?" He almost regretted asking.

"Her training, of course." There was a soft blueish glow that lit up in Solas's hands, moving slowly he placed his glowing hand along the bump on Eva's head, allowing his magic to gently flow into her skin.  
  
 Cullen internally groaned at man’s _suggestion_. At this point it would be _questioning_ his methods. Everyone had something to say about Eva's training, yet no one was qualified more than he to provide such training for her. “You and everyone else in Haven." Cullen sighed, his hand ran through his sandy locks as he looked down to the two of them.

"They only speak their minds because they care for their Herald. They wish to see her succeed, not injured on a simple training exercise." Solas commented lightly. The glow from his hand began to fade away but his hand remained pressed against her forehead. "I only offer advice from what I observe, as do the others. She is yet too young to be handling a sword and shield. She has no counter weight and is off balance trying to steady herself and wield a weapon. It is not practical choice of weapon skills for her, at least not until she is older."

"Seeker Pentaghast said the same thing." Cullen grumbled. His arms folded over his chest while a sigh escaped him. "When I was her age I was able to wield a sword and shield without any issues. I don't see why she is unable to produce the same results as I was…"

Solas blinked, taken back by what the human said as his gaze shifted from the elf in front of him to the stubborn Commander beside him. Surely, he was jesting, yes? "Have you considered her gender…? Her weight? Lack of, rather?" Sarcasm dripped in his comments as he watched those golden orbs narrow at him. "They are greater differences between you two, more than you seem to realize. I would suggest trying another strategy with a different weapon type."  
  
_In due time her true calling will awaken _.__ Solas thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the girl once more, feeling her stir underneath his palm. Surely it would be easy enough to teach her a fighting style with magic, and they would be able to craft a small enough staff for her so she wasn't thrown off balance by another weight. But it wasn’t her timing, yet.  
  
  
A small smile lined his lips as those green hues fluttered open, a small groan of protest sounded from her as she shifted against the mattress. Solas watched in silence as Eva took in her surroundings, gathering her thoughts for a moment before she realized what happened. There was a small blush that stained her cheeks as she groaned again, this time a groan of disapproval rather than pain.

"I got hurt again, didn't I?" She grumbled unhappily, throwing an arm over her face as she covered her eyes. Solas couldn't help but chuckle at her question let alone her reaction. Truly, she was something spectacular.

"I'm afraid so. Nothing serious, but you should take the rest of the day to recover." He said gently as he stood from his crouched position.

"I was afraid you were going to say that. The people here must have no faith in me to get anything done, especially if I keep getting hurt all the time." Her tone was flat, clearly unhappy as she kept her arm placed over her eyes. She didn't want to look at either of them now, her embarrassment killed any self-confidence she had. "Couldn't even perform a simple shield bash." She grumbled, scolding herself.

"You're too hard on yourself." Cullen suddenly cut in, catching her attention immediately. She lifted her arm a bit, peeking out underneath. He was suddenly beside her, offering a soft smile as if it would ease her distress. "You haven't fought at any point in your life. Why would you have? This is all new to you, and no one expects you to be a master in two weeks' time. This type of training takes time, especially since you have no idea what type of weapon type you're best with." Her arm shifted completely from her face now as she stared at him fully. For a moment she was silent, mauling over his words before she nodded at him. Her face still held some grimness to it.

"You're right…I just figured there would be some improvement by now." She muttered a bit, shifting on the bed as she sat up. Her head felt like it was spinning as she closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. "I think rest is the best thing." Solas nodded at her statement.

"Agreed. However, there is a meeting later. Rest until then. I will gather you when it is time." Cullen said as he held out his hand to her. Eva took it gingerly as she got up from the mattress. "I'll walk you to your cabin. Thank you for your assistance, Solas."

Eva turned on her heels with a wide grin spread along her lips. She released Cullen's hand for a moment before lunging at Solas. Her arms locked around his waist as she hugged him tightly. "Yes, thank you! Best healer around!" She said as she looked up to him. He looked rather shocked for a moment as he staggered a bit from the sudden tackle, though he offered a small smile in return. Gingerly, he patted Eva on the top of her head as his blue hues softened a bit.

"Rest." Was all he offered as she unlatched herself from his body, once again taking the Commander's hand as they made their way out of his cabin. He could hear her excitement about being trained with a different weapon type, expressing her dislike of the sword. He chuckled. She was spectacular indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

Bull sighed as he rolled onto his back, taking in the clouds for a moment before closing his eyes. His mind cleared as he took in the sounds around him, birds chirping, the wind brushing a few stray leaves along the ground, and a very noticeable crunching of dirt against the sole of a shoe. A small smirk pulled at his lips as he listened closer, the crunching of the earth had stopped and was replaced with shuffling of bushes, as if someone was trying to maneuver their way through them but with some struggle. A small 'ouch!' reached his ears and he all but lost it from there.

"Three, two, one…" Bull mumbled to himself, and not a moment after he said _one_ did a rather small body come lunging out of the bushes and tumbling onto him. Eva crashed into his chest, perching herself up with a wide grin on her lips.

"Bet you didn't hear me that time!" She said and Bull laughed, and I mean he really laughed. He sat up, pushing Eva into his lap as his large hand came to rest on the crown of her head while he gently ruffled her snowy locks.

"Demons could hear you from a rift!" Bull grinned and Eva pouted with a sigh, crossing her arms in mild disappointment. "Ah, don't sweat it Boss. You're learning quick, though next time don't fight with the bushes." He smirked as a small tint of red stained her cheeks.

"I got caught, it wasn't my fault." She grumbled and he laughed more.

Eva rose from his lap and looked around. They weren't too far off from where they camped for the evening. Along with her new lessons on using an arrow, Bull thought it would be ideal for her to learn the concept to stealth. She wasn't terrible at it but she wasn't the greatest either. Usually, much like earlier, she would either get caught on something, trip on something, or walk too loudly. That could be rectified with going barefoot like Solas, but it was far too cold for her to do so. Bull stood from where he sat, pulling his large battle axe up and swinging the weapon into its hatch on his back.

"Probably should be getting back, Boss. I'm starving and I know you are too." Her stomach growled immediately after he said that and she felt her cheeks heat up again, but this time she was grinning up at the giant Qunari. It took a few weeks for Eva to come around to him, but she warmed up rather quickly to Bull and his Chargers, much to Josephine's dismay. Bull wasn't exactly filtered when speaking about certain things, and his excuse was that Eva would eventually learn about that type of stuff anyways, may as well come from someone she knows and likes. Josephine as well as Cassandra disagreed entirely. "Alright Boss, hop on!" Bull grasped at her small frame and picked her up, placing her atop of his shoulders. Eva grinned and held on to Bull's horns as he took off into a sprint.

"CHARGE!" Eva yelled, pointing her hand forward and Bull went faster, laughing along with her as they tore across the clearing back to camp.  
  
\----

"For the last time Varric," Cassandra shot him a glare as she sighed. "Cullen _voluntarily_ joined the Inquisition." She snapped and Varric only grinned in response, throwing up his hands as a show of surrender.

"Well, I'm still convinced Josephine was too polite to decline." Varric added slyly as he made his way to his tent.

Cassandra's eye began to twitch and she was about ready to tear off the dwarfs' head before a roar of laughter caught her attention. She turned, spotting Bull and Eva approaching the camp sight. They were walking now, obviously caught up in one of Bull's tales since Eva was in tears from laughter. _Please be age appropriate,_ Cassandra thought to herself as she sighed internally. She didn't want to have to talk to Bull again about keeping things clean for Eva. The man lived an interesting life, that much was certain.

"Welcome back, Herald." Cassandra said stiffly, nodding at Bull as he set the young girl down on the ground.

"Hi Cass!" Eva smiled up in her direction as the two made their way to the pot of cooked ram meat. Bull picked out a large piece, go figure, as Eva went for the smaller portions. They both practically inhaled their food and it took Cassandra everything in her power not to tell them to slow down and chew their food first.

"How was the training?" She asked instead.

"Needs practice but getting better---damn, this is good!" Bull said as he tore into another piece of meat.

" _Language!"_ Cassandra snapped, glaring at the Qunari who only shrugged in her direction. Eva didn't seem at all phased as she had already begun a conversation with Solas and seemed engrossed in that. It was amazing how easily Eva got distracted and tuned others out. She needed to learn her technique and try it on Varric sometime.

"See Seeker, told you they'd be back soon." And cue her irritation.

She sighed and stood from her spot, dusting off her pants before looking to Varric. "I had no doubt he wouldn't return her safely, Varric." She said as she lifted her pack from the ground and made her way to her tent. "I'm going to bed, we leave first thing in the morning."

"Ugh, why so early?" Bull asked.

"We need to reach Mother Giselle as soon as possible. Cullen requested we be back before the weeks' end." That was all Cassandra said before nodding to Eva, who waved at her in return.

"Woman needs to drink more." Bull grumbled.  
  
"Couldn't agree more." Varric chuckled.  
\----  
  
  


Morning came too early for them and Eva was never a morning person to begin with, though Solas always managed to coax her out of her bed roll with promises of warm tea or more stories about the fade during their travels. Though this morning was particularly difficult, because she hadn't slept as much as she could. It felt like she fighting to keep her eyes open at every second, but to only have them droop randomly before someone startled her awake.

"Lethallan," Solas whispered in her ear and she nearly jumped off the ground, scrambling to stand but swayed a bit on her legs. A small smirk graced the older elf's lips but he quickly covered it with his mask of indifference. "It is time to depart, are you ready?" Solas asked as he watched her carefully, noting the large yawn and tired nod.

Eva said nothing as she gathered her things and waited for Solas. Haven was kind enough to lend them horses for this journey until they could obtain proper horses from some horse master that was near their current destination. Maybe they should visit him this week too? Solas lifted her with ease onto the horse and she stiffened only slightly, still not being a personal fan of horses herself. But Solas was quick to mount the horse as he sat behind her. He gave the animal a small kick and they were off; the others had left ahead of them but it wasn't too long before they caught up.

"Is she alright?" She heard Cassandra ask.

"Fine, fine. Just tired." Eva mumbled out, her eyes drooping again.

"Did you not sleep?" She persisted.

"Not so much." She shook her head as she looked up to Cassandra, who now wore a worried expression. She was really the mother hen of the group. "Bull kept me up." Eva admitted, a small blush spreading on her cheeks. "He snores… Loud."

A small vibration shook through her as Solas chuckled a bit from her remark. "He does indeed, I'm surprised you even slept through it, Seeker." He added. Solas gave a small tug on the reigns as the horse came to a stop, "Lethallan, if you could adjust your position you may rest until we reach the village." Eva didn't need to be told twice as she shifted in his lap, her legs draping over his arms as her head tucked safely into the warmth of his chest. The steady beat of his heart met her ears as her senses were filled with his scent. Elfroot, ink, and a hint of tea. For someone who hated it so much he really did drink a lot of it. Eva smiled a bit, snuggled just a bit closer into the warmth of his body before finally going still.

  
  
  
Cassandra watched with wide eyes, you could practically see her swooning over the of the scene before her. She and Josephine were easily swayed with things like this, Solas didn't quite understand. The elf gave her a firm stare which snapped Cassandra out of her 'gooey state', as Eva would call it before he gave the mount another kick, sending them into a quick yet steady pace. He didn't want to disrupt the sleeping bundle in his arms.

"You're caught." Varric commented casually, glancing over to the apostate. Solas sighed internally, though his face remained neutral.

 _And here we go again._ "I am ensuring that she acquires the recommended amount of sleep for her to function properly. Should we go into battle, she cannot fight in her current condition." Solas clipped, his tone held a certain coldness to it, which only made the dwarf grin more.

"Whatever you say, Chuckles, whatever you say." Varric grinned as he turned his attention back towards the road ahead of them.

The journey to the village from their camp took less time than they anticipated, giving them ample time to tend to the villagers needs. Eva didn't mind in the slightest with aiding the refugees, but she was slightly sour about being woken up. They spent half the day gathering supply caches for Whittle, gathering ram's meat for the hunter that had no desire to step outside their small haven. She couldn't blame them, the number of Templars and Mages that attacked them were unbelievable, though the Iron Bull had no problem driving his axe through them.

"HAH." He roared as blood sputtered from the open wound on the mage's neck, some of it spilling onto Bull as he cut the man down mid spell. Eva felt her stomach lurch with disgust. "I can do this all day, good for the soul." Bull said.

"Mindless slaughter?" Cassandra snapped at him she smashed her shield into a Templar, sending the man flying towards Solas's direction. Solas casted his spell and consumed the solider in ice before shattering him into hundreds of unrecognizable pieces.

"It's not mindless, we're clearing the road for safe travel!" Bull replied.

Eva and Varric fell back behind the others as they fired their weapons, staggering the enemy before either Bull or Cassandra could get to them. At least she wasn't a terrible shot. Or that's what Varric said. She still needed practice on long range shots. She pulled her bow string back, sending her arrow flying into the shoulder of a mage.

"NICE SHOT." Bull yelled from his position before cutting down the last person in sight. "There, that should keep the refugees safe. We should find their base and smoke them out."

"Indeed. Only then will this area be safe, save for the rifts of course."

 _Of course._ Eva mentally groaned before sighing. "We should get back; I still need to talk to Mother Giselle."

"You best pray this works, Seeker. I don't see how she's going to calm things down at Haven."

Cassandra grunted in response. "We can only try, Varric."  
  
\----

They made it back in no time and dispersed. Bull went to go check on the food situation, having complained several times that he was hungry and needed a drink. Solas retreated to the tents that they had set up when they arrived, something about a location he saw while in the fade and was going to mark it on their map for a later date. Varric traded goods with the towns market with what he found from picking bodies. Cassandra and Eva sought out Mother Giselle who found near the healing cabin.

Eva spotted her standing next to an injured man, who seemed reluctant to have any help from a mage. _'No! Don't let them touch me with their corrupt magic!'_ The man hissed out angrily, wincing from his obvious wounds but still acted like a stubborn ass. Eva frowned when she drew nearer, his protests becoming louder and crueler.

"I have a friend that's a mage… He healed me plenty of times, it never once hurt me." Eva's voice carried as she stood slightly behind the two. They both looked up in surprise, even more so when the spotted the small elf. "You're clearly hurting, please let him help you." The mage that was near looked just as surprised, especially since she just stood up for him.

"What would a whelp like you know about anything regarding mages?! Have you no idea what they've done?!" The man hissed out and she winced at his tone. That is when Cassandra stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"There are more important things to be concerned over." Cassandra said with a small glare. The man instantly shut up. "Either accept his help or not, but do not insult him further."

Mother Giselle turned to face both fully, surprise still lingering on her features as she looked them over, though she offered a small smile. "I believe introductions are in order." She said kindly.

Eva stepped forward a bit and smiled. "My name is Eva and this is Cassandra. She's a seeker." Cassandra suppressed the urge to smirk at Eva's introduction.

"I believe Leliana sent word ahead that you were expecting us. Eva is our Herald."

"Herald?" Mother Giselle repeated, her eyebrows raising with curiosity. "I didn't expect a child… She's so young. I heard stories that she was much older."

"Obviously false." Cassandra stated.

"Regardless, I did receive word that you need my help, yes?" She asked, her tone was still kind.

Eva nodded and that's when Cassandra went into explaining the situation to the Revered Mother. They both agreed she could aid in gathering clerics in some city that she has never heard of, and that she herself would have to go and speak with these said clerics. Apparently, she was their only hope for the Chantry not tearing itself apart. Eva disagreed. Though her opinion didn't matter currently.

"I will meet you at Haven then," Mother Giselle said with a firm nod. "We need to set an example."

"Example?" Eva asked, her brows raising in curiosity.

The older woman smiled and nodded. "The Maker wishes His word to spread by example, not by war. We win no converts with blood."

Eva looked up to Cassandra who was nodding back with agreement. They shook Mother Giselle's hand before departing from the cabin, leaving her to get back to helping the injured refugees.

"Cassandra," She asked as the woman turned to look at her. "Are we staying here for the night or packing up?"

"We should start heading back. I fear if we delay our stay we won't meet Cullen's deadline." Eva frowned.

"Why does he need us back so soon? I thought we'd see the horse man while we were here..." If one more person in Haven complained to her about how the horses sucked, she was going to lose her mind. It's not like she picked the horses that were provided, and this errand was the best she could do for the town. It would at least shut the humans up.

"He didn't say," Cassandra pulled her out of her thoughts. "But it has to be important if the Commander is requesting our return so early."

Eva sighed and nodded. She disagreed, but if the matter was important she didn't want to get a lecture from Cullen or Josephine about her and her party being tardy. "Alright, I guess we can gather some supplies and head out. Can you get everyone together?" Eva asked as Cassandra nodded. Good, one less thing she had to do. Maybe, just maybe she could catch some sleep while they prepared for the trip.  
  
\----  
  
  
  
  


"You play Wicked Grace, Chuckles?" Varric asked as he pulled alongside the elf. Varric was good at making small talks on long trips, one of the many reasons she brought him along. He was always in a good mood and provided humor for the group. Though Eva felt a small pang of sympathy for Cassandra.

"I've tried my hand in it." Solas replied, keeping a steady pace.

"You any good?" Varric asked, raising a curious brow in his direction.

"That depends," Solas replied. Eva looked back at the older elf before looking over to Varric.

Varric pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed. "It's a simple question, Chuckles."

"It all depends on how you play the game, master Tethras."

"Do I hear a challenge in the future?" Bull retorted from behind them. Eva was surprised the poor horses hadn't given out already from Bull's weight and size.

"Perhaps." Was all Solas said before falling silent once more. Varric pulled back with Bull, discussing a future date to set up this Wicked Grace game of theirs. Eva made a mental note to ask about it later.

A sudden pulse rippled across her marked hand as she winced, drawing her right hand to her chest. Cassandra immediately looked back as Solas looked down to her. The pulsing continued and only grew before a large crackle was heard not far from them. An earth-shattering cry following the crackle.

"Demons!" Cassandra yelled before dismounting her horse. Solas instantly came to a stop and pulled Eva off the horse with him, putting her behind the group as two despair demons charged for them.

Cassandra was first to charge forward, Varric already aiding in staggering the demons as his arrows pierced into them. Their screeching intensified and Eva felt slightly faint from the noise as she stumbled to get her bow in order.

But it all happened so fast. Before she even had the chance to fire Cassandra was blasted off her feet and Eva became immobile, unable to draw her bow as the freezing sensation crept up her body, leaving defenseless. Solas was quick to free her from her frozen prison, knocking the demon away with a blast of fire.

"You must seal the rift!" Solas yelled, this time raising a wall of fire around one of the demons, it's dying cry fresh in her ears.

  
  
  
Eva nodded quickly and scrambled to her feet, leaving her bow behind her as she ran through the chaos. The more demons they killed the more the rift would spit out. Eva tore off her glove quickly before thrusting her hand forward towards the rift. The pulse of energy radiated in her hand and began to grow.

"HURRY!" Bull yelled before one of the demons descended on him with its freezing abilities. Another crack sounded from the rift and the demons that were attacking them collapsed, giving them time to kill those remaining. Eva kept her hand up as the pulsing continued and she knew that it was just about to close. _Come on! Just a little more!_  
  
 A sharp pain cracked against her head as Eva was thrown to the side, one of the despair demons had managed to regain consciousness. It approached her quickly and she scrambled back, trying to aim her hand at the rift once more. Ice consumed her hand as she was frozen against the ground, her body suddenly immobile.

 _'Oh, you have a great amount of sorrow coursing through that small body of yours.'_ The demon said almost too gleefully. She felt her eyes widen in terror as a sickening cold feeling suddenly blossomed through her chest. Every memory that she tried to suppress and forget became a moving picture that was displayed in front of her. ' _Give me your sorrow. Give me your life.'_  It said with a changing tone to its voice.

The chill felt like it spread into her bones as her vision became questionable. Was… Was that. _No. No, no, impossible!_

"Mamae?" Eva said aloud, her mother now standing in front of her, dressed just as she was the day she lost her. But… How?  
  
\----

A loud scream caught his attention as Solas managed to burn another demon into dust. _Eva._ Leaving the others to fend for themselves, he charged forward, swinging his staff around quickly while summoning another surge of fire that directly hit the despair demon. It screamed before dancing away, leaving Solas to free Eva from her frozen prison. He quickly gathered her in his arms before heading to the rift, with her hand in his he managed to close the rift without any more demons coming through. The despair demon succumbed to Bull's axe.

"Closed." Solas said while accessing the damage of the group, never putting Eva down from his hold. Mild damage, nothing a potion couldn't fix up. Though the real damage was to the emotional distraught elf in his hold. She didn't know the damage a despair demon could have on a person, he did.  
  
"Eva," Solas said gently but she didn't budge. Her eyes were wide, mouth slightly open as her shallow breath became heavier to a point where she started hyperventilating.

"I saw her." She said with a tremor breaking her voice. "I SAW HER. I HEARD HER." Eva began to struggle in Solas's hold. She just saw her mother… Right? She was here! She had to find her! But her struggles were rendered useless as the hold on her grew tight.

Green hues met stormy blue ones as she narrowed her gaze at Solas. "Let me go!" She snapped, her struggles only growing.

"It wasn’t her, Eva." Solas said sternly, his gaze narrowing with hers. His words must've sunk in because she instantly became still in his arms.

"But-," she shook her head. "I heard her! She was calling for- for help. For me…" Her voice broke.

"Demons such as this type have the ability to twist the mind and make you believe something is there, when it is not." It felt like she was just punched in the gut upon hearing that. "A desire demon has the ability to ensnare and prey upon its victim using whatever means against it, just as a demon of despair is able to do, but with ones' emotions." He felt the need to explain further in detail, just to ensure that she understood what transpired.

Cassandra called out to them as she rushed over, giving Eva a look over before expressing her thanks to Solas. He nodded as the three of them made their way to Varric and Bull, who were already passing a potion to Solas and Cassandra.  
  
 Eva blinked when Solas pushed a healing potion into her hands, he suddenly was blurry in her vision as she felt fresh tears slip down her cheeks.

"Lethallan," his voice dropped, his expression changing into one of worry and sorrow. This was not like him to feel so strongly for others, but it was no secret that Solas protected the girl fiercely, even when it that protection extended to her emotions. "You must drink the potion; it will help heal you from the effects of the demon." Solas pressed but Eva just stared up at him with a broken expression.  
  
That's when Cassandra gingerly removed the bottle from her hands and uncorked it before pressing it lightly to her mouth. She drank the potion, there was no point in protesting. She felt the chill immediately dissipate from her body as her other wounds were soothed, but her heart was still very much shattered.

"We--- Should move on." Cassandra said with a hint of hesitancy in her voice.

Eva only nodded slightly as her gaze shifted from Solas, to Cassandra, to her own hands pressed together in her lap. Solas placed her on their shared mount and soon they were back on track, heading back to Haven.


End file.
